The 2008 Sacred Journey calendar:
An opportunity to transcend the ordinary
The 2008 Sacred Journey calendar: An opportunity to transcend the ordinary
Contact: James Weeks 510-409-6813
James@acrossthekingsriver.com
In the first of a series of unique fine art calendars that feature the wisdom of Africa and the Caribbean, award-winning photographer James Weeks brings the sacred and ancient city of Ile Ife, Nigeria into focus. Ile Ife is the orisun — or cradle — of the Yoruba, an ethnic group of some 25 million that inhabit Southwest Nigeria. With riveting portraits, insightful journal entries, and uplifting quotes, Weeks pays tribute to one of the most significant and widely studied cultures of the Motherland.
Weeks, a native of St. Croix U.S. Virgin Islands, who now lives in Oakland, California, says the response to Sacred Journey has been overwhelming.
James has the rare ability to capture the human condition,” says Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Melvin Claxton, author of Uncommon Valor. “The relationship between mother and child, the playful rivalry of young sisters or wistful look of the aged matriarch is reflected in his work with compelling power; the impact lingers long after the viewing.”
Denise Bradley, former Executive Director of the Museum of the African Diaspora, says, “The African diaspora has many faces whose personal journeys can be seen in their eyes, in their smiles, in the furrow of their brows. James Weeks has done a wonderful job of capturing one part of humanity’s multifaceted face.”
And Gwen Wilkerson Jones, Barnes and Noble bookstore manager in Oakland, says, Sacred Journey is not only unique but outstanding.
Message of Togetherness
Throughout the calendar, Weeks included sacred verses of Ifa that emphasizes community. Ifa is an ancient African philosophy of the Yoruba. “The message of togetherness will always be relevant. All conflicts, in some way, are based on the misguided notion that we do not have to honor the humanity in others. But such a philosophy has always been and will always be the beginning of the end. Throughout the verses we are gently reminded to gather together and not walk alone,” says Weeks.
Sacred Journey is more than a calendar – it’s an experience, an invitation, an opportunity to transcend the ordinary. This compelling masterpiece of art, philosophy and spirituality beckons us on the path of wisdom, transformation and healing.