"ROOTS Y CULTURA" - Size: 48" by 32" - Giclee on Canvas - Limited Edition by Zuzuku
In this painting is the the face of "Kunta Kinte" from the legendary film Roots. Kunta Kinte was an African Mandinka warrior who was captured, imported, and later sold as a slave. One day in 1767, when the young warrior left his village to find wood to make a drum, he was attacked by four men who surrounded him and took him captive.
In this painting his image symbolizes strength and struggle for equality.
The drum in the forefront represents the drum that Kunta Kinte wanted to make as a gift for his brother when he was captured for enslavement.
The flags in the background symbolize the artists home country of Venezuela and transplant country of the U.S.A., and the heart in the center symbolizes the true home within.
The wrists representing the life blood, have the symbols of each country overlapping the opposing country's flag which is for the conflict of the immigrant being disconnected from their home forever and living a double life.
Each eye on the hands falls on one country each, showing dual perspective of a bigger picture, shedding a tear.
The honeycomb grid that is through the entire painting represents the hive mind of humanity or collective consciousness that connects us all.
The headphones with antennas, Zuzuku's signature mark, are shown on figures who are "tuned in" to the source within.
Venezuelan born New Yorker. Age 36. Professional graphic designer with over 17 years experience in logo design, branding, illustration & graphic art. Also Producer/Recording Artist since 1995, Former front-man of King Changó (Luaka Bop).
Zuzuku a.k.a "Blanquito Man" a.k.a Jose Andres Blanco, is a Venezuelan-born New Yorker that's been mashing up sounds, languages, cultures and genres in the Latin Alternative music scene for over 10 years. Most well known as lead vocalist and creator of the band "King Changó" (signed by David Byrne/Luaka Bop 1996) and who's signature sound was quoted as being "a pomo ethnomusicologist's wet dream of dub, ska, hypermerengue, rock, salsa, jarocho, and norteño you can pogo to", as well as his many collaborations with other international recording artists (Celso Pina, Control Machete, Sonidero Nacional, Sistema Local, Up, Bustle & Out, BiggaBush/Lightning Head, Frank Quintero/Oscar de Leon, Pacha Massive, Stereotyp), the fusion continues beyond the band into new realms under the alias ZUZUKU and his New York based company Bigmama Industries, Inc.
The name Zuzuku is actually a self-created mashed-up slang term for the japanese word Tsudsuku, which means "To Be Continued". It is also written in Japanese as >>"<. This symbol mysteriously appeared at the end of many Spanish-dubbed, black & white, Japanese sci-fi shows like Ultraman watched by the artist when he was young growing up in Venezuela, and as a huge fan and collector since then, he had always wondered what that symbol at the end of the shows meant! One day years later in NYC, he saw it again and finally got a chance to ask a friend that knew Japanese to translate it. Well, let's just say he got such a huge kick out of finally knowing the real meaning and was fascinated by the irony and years of mystery and a super cool but simple answer behind it all! Metaphorically, it's just perfect, because art is never finished, it is always To Be Continued.......Bigmama is the collective consciousness, universal mind. Zuzuku is quantum immortality, to be continued infinitely.
Established in 2006, Bigmama Industries was born out of the sincere desire to create an independent company that makes meaningful outlets for music, art and design while promoting consciousness in our mutated society. Bigmama Industries offers conscious and creative music, art, paintings and merchandise that have meaning, purpose and a message. Our function is to break out of the mass, provoke thought and create awareness by artistically diving into the deeper realms of ..... Life, Love, Music, Design, Roots, Culture, Faith, Freedom, Art, Technology, Politics, Religion, Questions, Answers, Truth, Lies, Conspiracy, Controversy, Stupidity, Injustice, the Spiritualization & Decriminalization of Civilization, and Various Explanations of The Meaning of Life. (to name a few)
As for the name, Bigmama is the alias we use to refer to The Collective Consciousness. The term refers to that dimension of consciousness which is the ground-state of the totality of the human experience and which is the repository of all the knowledge, wisdom, history, experience and pre-science of the human race. Yeah, It's pretty deep, so we just like to call it The Bigmama!
The paintings and merchandise created by Zuzuku for Bigmama Industries explore the fusions of culture, sound, style, & design to create new, forward thinking, meaningful projects that connect and elevate. Drawing on the principles of fusion, fusion of mediums as well as fusion of styles and applications, is the driving force behind our creative inventions. Fusion is the opposite of confusion!
For design inquiries, general information, or just to say hi to Bigmama Industries, please contact us by email at
[email protected]
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