DreamLand
My Name is INO
In progress collection of portraits documenting my perception of self as my mental health diagnosis progresses. June 2019 - Present.
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Who is Ino?
The Spirit Behind the Mask
Ino “Odd Johnny” Kodjo is a psycho spiritual surrealist, alchemical painter and musician. His works entitled DreamLand are meant to study and sort of spotlight the intrinsic relationships between love, death, grief, psychosis of human nature, decolonization and the dream time. Can healing be found in the valleys connecting these feelings/spaces in the body? In the earth?
Kodjo takes to alchemical symbols as a sort of Time Machine through his works. This practice started shortly after Kodjo was assaulted while working as painter in Portland, Oregon and suffered from Prolonged memory loss as a result. “With my schizophrenic mind, I am able to find more connections between things that others don’t see. I can use ancient symbols to connect to personal memories, those connect to dreams. Dreams connect to a higher or collective source of consciousness. There are shaman even, who track dreams that reoccur in the same geographic locations over time. What would you do if you found your own? And you recognized it , some faint call in the wind from long ago.
Dreamland is exactly this. It stands as it’s own boisterous yet delicate command for reconnection, reclamation and restoration of innocence, peace and natural magic. For eveeyone, but especially for the black human collective.
To connect to one another this way is to connect to ourselves. To connect to ourselves is inherent reconnection with the natural world around us. I dare us all to take a step further into my mind: from its slimey hellmouth to the peak of honey suckle mountain . I once was a man with no memory at all. now I have so many. I am so many dreams at once. It was my own nature that saved me. It’ll be yours too.
Talkin' To Myself Episode 1.
I recently had a dream where I got to experience a very warm and playful reunion with my inner child. It inspired my upcoming single "Rainbows". Little Me had the idea to build some of the set for the music video. "Talkin' To Myself" is a miniseries meant to document this process and the more intimate conversations happening in my mind that help(ed) me heal while working on set and writing the song.
Talkin' To Myself
Episode 2: Where Are We Now?
In this episode of Talkin' to Myself , my inner child and I sort of reverse our roles. This time I'm the one who needs guidance. This song, Rainbows has really ripped my heart open. All the mucks come pouring out and I don't know what to do with it. Little Blue reminds me that fear is okay, but we must be brave if we want to create a new beginning for ourselves. This episode Little Blue kind helps me remember to use my imagination and spiritual gifts + rituals to escape those deeper, more suffocating fears. We turn the muck into light. The fear is transmuted and becomes fuel for a hungry heart. I'll be recording Rainbows soon. I can't wait for you all to hear it.
Thanks for watching.
Peace + Love.
Talkin' To Myself
episode three
Last night I dreamt I was running through a field with lots of people. Friends, I presume. Some of us had wings, I can't remember if I had wings. I was angry and yelling at everyone. One of them came near me and hugged me. Embraced we wandered away from everyone and into a parking lot. I cried into their feathers, and itchy blue sweater. "I miss my parents."
In the dream at that moment I could remember the backyard of my uncle's house where all the June babies shared birthday parties. Splintered wood and old peeling white paint. Today is June 28, 2022. We are twenty-nine, we remember the light. We missed it.
- Ino.