Ìlépa (The Chase) The title of the artwork is “Ìlépa”, which means “The Chase” in Yoruba. It depicts a cluster of fish in a mid-tone blue. These fish, unlike their real-life counterparts, are not chasing prey, evading predators or avoiding plastic debris. They are simply swimming, their physical architecture influenced by the whims of the current. Like the artist’s quote: “Tides favor us or not, We will swim. We all won our first swimming competition as fishes do” transforms this whimsical scene into a metaphor for perseverance. The fishes, like ourselves, must navigate the currents of life, sometimes favorable, sometimes not. Yet, the will to swim, to keep moving forward, is the key to achieving our goals. The artwork celebrates the personal and communal journey of overcoming obstacles and achieving success. Just as millions of sperm compete in a race to fertilize an egg, so too do we compete in the race of life. The very fact that we are here is a medal to our triumph in that primal competition. We are all, in that sense, winners. The artwork “Ìlépa” is a reminder that the pursuit of our goals, however difficult, is a worthy endeavor. By persevering, we can all achieve a sense of fulfillment, just like the fish in this contemporary relief sculpture.