Earlier this week we told you about the plans to re-invent Battlefield park – but there's no discussion of what will happen to the Antonio Soberanis bust that is really, the heart and soul of the battle in the battle field park. He was a labour champion and activist and held many public meetings in that park. But in the slickly designed architect's rendering of the re-designed park, it seems that no place of prominence has been reserved for Antonio Soberanis. On the upside, so far his bust facing the Supreme Court is the only thing that hasn't been demolished, so, there's hope.
And that's just the hope that Sculptor Steven Okeke is clinging to. He wants the City Council to adopt his new Soberanis bust as the flagship piece of public art for the park. He says its truer to the image of Soberanis, and even the great man's family thinks so. He made his pitch to us today:…
STEPHEN OKEKE - SCULPTOR
"What is here does not represtent Antonio Soberanis in any way at all and something more representative should be put in here so what I am proposing is that for a man who has done so much if you see the list of his achievments; for a man who has done so much he should be represented and be acknowledged properly."
Jules Vasaquez
"You are proposing that your bust be installed in this park"
Stephen Okeke
"I am proposing that and that is what I am proposing to seeing get done and the family also has endorsed that and they are very pleased to see that done"
Jules Vasaquez
"And for this fine initiative how much do you propose to charge?"
SStephen Okeke
"Well we haven't looked at the money figure yet but any charge will be technical service but we haven't put the charge right now; the charge is not the issue right now; the money is not the issue"
Jules Vasaquez
"Money is an issue in everything brother"
Stephen Okeke
"Well we can sit down and talk about that but we don't have to do it standing"
Jules Vasaquez
"Now you are saying this present bust is not at all faithful to the true image of Antonio Soberanis but then you are competing for the job so of course you will say that"
Stephen Okeke
"Well, do you have a picture of Antonio Soberanis? Its in an absolute sense no representation whatsoever of Antonio Soberanis but something more appropriate should be put in there"
Jules Vasaquez
"So are you doing this to profit off his legacy or to enhance his legacy?"
Stephen Okeke
"To enhance his legacy but I think also it's time for me to stop explaining why I have to be paid for excellent delivery"
Jules Vasaquez
"If you were a European you wouldn't have to explain anything"
Stephen Okeke
"Oh well they told me already that because I am black I wouldn't be paid atleast Joe Bradley said so. So it's no longer a secret that I have to go through all this hoops and loops because they think I look different"
If you didn't know, Okeke is also the figure behind the definitive busts of Phillip Goldson and George Price.
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