Fishers Of Men

The artist O. Yemi intends this painting as a biblical subject using modern day images. While he was planning this, the horror on Mediterranean Sea unfolded. Seeing Italian coast guards fishing out African immigrants- the victims of human trafficking from the sea and an iconic image of Syrian drowned baby being carried by Turkish police from coast resort of Bodrum influenced O. Yemi to title this painting The Fishers of Men.

The Fishers of Men was the phrase Jesus used to call his disciples to save human souls from the predator - the Satan. In this painting, President Bashar Al-Assad, and Islamic State terrorist are the sharks, the predators the Syrians people are running from, while Africans are running from poverty and longing for a better life in Europe (making them vulnerable to human trafficking).

Fishers of men are not only the coast guards who rescued the refugees from drowning, fishers of men also include good neighbors' from nations like Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey who are caring for large numbers of refugees from Syria. Fishers of men are the good people of Europe who welcome the refugees with open hands. Fishers of men are those who met the refugees with boxes of supplies and offering candy and cuddly toys for the refugees' children.