In this 1999 painting entitled “Mburuchusi,” the solemnly depicted faces are covered in blood to represent the misery, despondency and anguish of people under the manipulative, corrupt, short sighted, confused, visionless and brutal ruler-ship of this world’s governmental systems.


Literally, ‘Mburuchusi’ is a term for a process by which an ever-tightening strip of bark tied around a bull’s testicles during the summer gradually tightens in winter and eventually castrate the animal by cutting off its ‘semen delivery channel,’ thereby making the bull impotent, docile and angry enough to pull a plough for unbearable hours.


In essence, the bull becomes a metaphor for the bitter faced people, whose mask like faces and muzzled lips overlap rhythmically. The burlesque treatment of the painting’s subject, amalgamated with the iniquitous imagery is evocative of the work of important contemporary artists, for example Joël Mpah Dooh (Cameroon), Chiko Chikonzero Chazunguza, (Zimbabwe) and the American artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960 –1988).


By pegging the mouths with concrete nails, rotting metal, dried tree twigs and rusted bottle tops, Nya’s intention is to emphasize that fear is a spirit that robs Man of his identity as a leader and ruler on earth and reduces him to a timid neurotic with no control over the words that come out of his mouth.


However, the earth mixed with lamb’s blood flowing down the nucleus of the composition represent the blood of Jesus which redeemed Mankind from the spirit behind the torment and anguish exhibited in the faces, the spirit of fear. And the 12 stainless steel squares towards the right foot of the canvas from which the darkness veiling the composition cannot stop the light from entering alludes to the invisible and internal government the Creator of the universe first granted Mankind to administer the colony of earth, and upon losing it, He made plans to legally bring it back to its rightful owners (Mankind) in the body of Jesus. This government is now on earth and is accessible to any Man who acknowledges, believes and confesses that Jesus is His Lord and His only savior from the bondage of fear remotely administering the world systems.


This government is the Kingdom of God in The Holy Spirit.