Art of the Motherland is pleased to announce The Tale of the Three Farmers, a solo exhibition by Edmund Kwame Gbafah.
The Tale of the Three Farmers is about three farmers whose lands bordered each other. The first farmer had a river on his land, which he used to irrigate his water-dependent crops. The second farmer, whose land was in the middle, also needed water for his crops but had no river. The third farmer grew crops requiring little water and would suffer if his soil became too moist.
During a dry spell, the second farmer asked the first farmer to divert a tributary from his river onto his land to irrigate his crops. When the third farmer heard of this plan, he was outraged. He feared the increased moisture would damage his crops and threatened to burn the second farmer’s fields if the plan went ahead.
The farmers, unable to resolve the conflict, took their dispute to the King of the village bordering their lands. The King decided to support the second farmer by reimbursing him for any revenue loss due to poor irrigation, compensating him as if he had the water he needed—thereby avoiding any potential damage to the third farmer’s land.
Through this powerful story, Gbafah captures the intricacies of resource-sharing and conflict resolution, inviting viewers into a timeless narrative of balance and compromise.
The online exhibition will take place from 2nd March to 30th June, 2026.
