Nya’s treatment of natural material in works particularly from his “Voices of the Earth” series is both ingenious and perspicacious.

His early and habitual exposure to animal blood, cow dung, internal organs and raw hides of various animals, namely cows, goats, sheep, rabbits and pigs furnished him with immense knowledge and appreciation of materials that he now dexterously manipulates in his contemporary compositions.

The artist’s skill in the use of animal skin and other materials is clearly evinced in this sobering composition entitled “The Babylonian Shepherd.”

The massive work, which was finally completed in 2002 after 8 years of extensive research traces every human being’s innate desire to dominate, subdue, rule and control his environment. However, without the “Spirit of God,” which, according to the artist, “Mankind forfeited when the first human being on earth declared independence from his Creator,” Man becomes a victim of the spirit of fear hence is reduced to a confused, angry, greedy, covetous and raging lunatic who now uses his intellect, influence, affluence, gender, skin color, religion, title and systems of government to dominate, rule and control his fellowman.

By alluding to carefully selected animals on the doleful figures paraded in a single file, namely a buffalo, which is notorious for its unpredictability and communal behavior, an ox or castrated bull, known for toiling, a wild pig, legendary for its greed; Nya’ aims to highlight Mankind’s carnal tendencies and his naturally ungovernable lust which renders him incapable of exercising his divine mandate to judiciously manage the earth.

Unlike most of his paintings, where faith, hope and vision always triumphs over fear, “The Babylonian Shepherd” is heavy, inexorably grim and severely somber.