On Wednesday, Ibiyinka Olufemi Alao, the art ambassador for Nigeria to the United Nations, spoke at St. Joseph Regional Academy in Jim Thorpe. He spoke with the students about his artwork and his culture.

Alao showed some of his art to the students and told the stories behind his pieces. He also spoke about his home country, Nigeria.Alao, who speaks 14 different languages, said that his name means that there is family in everyone that he meets. He has met many people through his travels and has visited 28 different countries."We all have a lot more in common then we have different from each other," he told the students.Alao said that every name has a meaning and so does every piece of artwork."Sometimes art is inspired by what we believe in."Alao was raised Christian and some of his pieces are inspired by Christian stories. His paintings utilize vibrant colors that reflect the nature of his home in West Africa.He uses different mediums for his paintings including tempera, acrylics, oil and water colors.Some of the paintings that Alao spoke about included: "Can You See It," "A Long, Long, Way from Home," "Ajaga," and "True Miracles."He also spoke about his painting entitled "The Perversity of Life." In 2001, he was the first-place winner of the United Nations International Art Competition for the painting, which chronicles the life of a woman from infancy to adulthood.Alao also spoke about his self-portrait, "Myself as an Individual." He said that a self-portrait is usually the reflection of a person's character."An artist is a person with a hole in his or her heart that is equal to the world outside of them," he said.He states that artists, himself included, work to fill that hole with their art. Some may fill that hole by being engineers, teachers, doctors or any number of other careers.During the presentation Alao sang traditional West African music with the students and played on his drum, which is called Djembe. The students were singing and dancing along with him.After the presentation Alao held a painting workshop with the students.Since 2004, Alao has been traveling around the world attending numerous community events and peace conferences. He also spends time attending General Assembly and meetings for the United Nations as an Ambassador.Alao had visited St. Joseph Regional Academy before and many of the students remembered him.In 2011 and 2012, he had toured through Carbon County and the surrounding counties speaking at different schools, universities, churches and community events. He enjoyed the area so much that he stayed for a few months in the Jim Thorpe area to work on his paintings.Alao said that over the past few years he has traveled in the United States. He also traveled to France, Spain, Germany, Nicaragua, and his home country of Nigeria. He is currently continuing his travels around the United States.Alao said that he enjoys sharing his stories with others and sharing a message of peace through art.