THURSDAY August 14 in the Bariga axis of Lagos, the popular performance artist, Yusuf Durodola, will stage his latest act, titled Ara Bàntù, Orí Bíntín — “Big Body, Small Head.”
Known for putting his deeply reflective acts in his inimitable style of conversation with his audience(s) through his act, Durodola will be at Oygbere Street, in Bariga, by 10 am.
In his promo for the show, the artist wrote:
“In Yoruba cosmology, the body (ara) is the servant, and the head (orí) is the ruler — the compass of destiny. Ara Bàntù, Orí Bíntín — “Big Body, Small Head” — stages the imbalance that occurs when strength outgrows wisdom, when muscle swells but vision withers. Through symbolic movement, fragmented dialogue, and ritual gesture, the performance interrogates a world where physical presence overshadows moral guidance. It draws from the proverb that warns of the body’s chaos when the head fails to lead, asking: what is might without direction? What is a community without empathy?
“Referencing the Yoruba proverb “Ore mi loju ti, oju o ti mi, iwo gangan ni o lojuti” warns that when your friend is shamed and you feel nothing, you are the one without honour. This performance confronts the ethics of public exposure in the digital age — Who records? Who posts? Must everything be offered to the crowd? — challenging the audience to rethink the value of discretion, the weight of shared shame, the fragility of honour, obsession with digital spectacle and our neglect of communal values.
“Big Body, Small Head becomes a visceral plea for consciousness, sensitivity, and the reclamation of our collective dignity.”