The Sun Eats Her Children

Nigerian-American poet and artist Precious Okoyomon invites us to explore a vibrant installation within Sant’Andrea de Scaphis, a deconsecrated Roman church dating back to the ninth century. Titled The Sun Eats Her Children, the exhibition presents a green oasis resonating with the melodies of nature and enigma. Amidst this setting, a unique array of plants, including Jimson weed, Lantana, Bitter nightshade, and Stinging nettle, come into view. What binds these botanical specimens is their ability to produce poison — a mysterious and potent aspect that unites them in both nature and art.

The Sun Eats Her Children captures nature’s paradoxes and makes us think about life’s different sides. Okoyomon finds these plants attractive because they challenge the idea that nature is weak and defenseless. In this case, the flower, often linked with qualities like purity, beauty, fertility, and innocence, loses its conventional connotations and becomes strong, powerful, and impressive.

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