32 JCAM 2021 Annual Review UAPs CONTEMPLATING THE UAPs THROUGH ART Silas Archibong, SJ - St. Pierre Canisius-Kimwenza, DR Congo kinky-haired Mary, muscular-looking Jesus, and brown - skinned Joseph. The Jesuit who inspired me to go back to art also uses black images contrary to conventional European paintings. That man was Father Fernando Arizti, SJ. I began to learn the art of playing with pencils again in the Novitiate. Simply put, I am a self-taught artist. Unlike Fr. Arizti, who was into painting, I specialize in realistic drawings done with pencils, and pen, creating white and black pictures and portraits. Silas Archibong, SJ Creating Art The dynamics of artistic creation always invite me to take a © JCAM further step to surpass limits and to set out on new paths. When I was invited by the President of the Jesuit My father says that I started talking at the age of two and Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM), Fr. started drawing when I was four. At the age of seven, I was Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, SJ, to be the artist in compelled to narrate stories with pencil illustrations on residence who will work on the Universal Apostolic paper that my father was obliged to read. My father has Preferences, I was excited, and the experience was a great always believed in the importance of symbolism to bring blessing for me. imagery to narratives. This was Ignatian, though neither of us were conscious of it. This is what Ignatius invites us to do throughout the entire experience of the Spiritual Exercises: Composition of Place and Application of Senses. He, therefore, invites us to the home of imagination. I drew images of characters I usually read: the blue-eyed Jesus, the long curly-haired Mary, and the white-skinned Joseph. Things changed when I entered the Jesuit Novitiate. I discovered few African books like the masterpiece of Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart. It made me have a sharp transition in my perspective. I thought that God ought not Silas Archibong, SJ art in progress to be foreign to me as an African child, so I started creating © JCAM images that I could identify as an African child: Afro