The Hexagon Project has been working with artist and teacher Olaniyi Sunday Olaniran for more than three years. In 2018-19 he created the Flying Hexagon Pencil with his students in Osogbo, Nigeria. If you want to learn If you want to learn more about the Flying Hexagon Pencil project, click here. In 2021, he was a visiting artist at San Francisco College with students of Mrs. Akinade Abiola in the Yoruba town of Ejigbo in the Osun State of Nigeria.
Because the Hexagon Project’s 2021 Special Theme was Technology and Social Justice, Mrs. Akinade’s students chose to create art that used technology to illustrate many social justice themes of Interdependence. Themes such as Nature, Problem-solving, Diversity, Equity, Innovation, Empathy, Dignity, Tolerance, Love, Unity and Respect were addressed. To accomplish this they created a one-minute video which was uploaded to our digital gallery on on Artsonia as well as a 5 minute video which features the students speaking about their hexagons’ meanings. This was a great accomplishment due to limited access to internet in the region. Olaniyi Sunday Olaniran also created a larger hexagon using his intricate beading technique with incorporated digital parts, including a speaker that connects to Bluetooth. It projects the messages spoken by the students who participated.
We are sharing their longer video here for all to enjoy. Also, all students were honored in the Fall with an awards ceremony during which each student received a certificate, and a modest cash reward was given to the school to support their art program. The photo below shows Mrs. Akinade Abiola on the left with a student along the proprietress of the school, Sister Henrietta Eziashi. We are very thankful to San Francisco College student artists, artist Olaniyi Sunday and Mrs. Abiola for their exciting contribution to the mission of the Hexagon Project: “To spread the meaning and importance of Interdependence and Interdependent Thought and Action among young people and communities worldwide!”
Are there any future plans involving technology ahead?
YES! Stay tuned for plans for a “Digital Flying Pencil’ which will travel across the globe – accumulating hexagons of hope and containing images from young people worldwide! We are looking for partners for this cause. Contact beth@hexagonproject.org if interested in funding, volunteering, or sponsoring such a project.