Artist Statement

My current studio practice is focused on two broad themes that respond to my personal life experiences. The first theme, captured in the “Now we Mask” series, explores ideas of the paradox of transformation in masking. I have always been fascinated with African masquerading performances and the transformation that changes the wearers personality into another character. I borrow the revealing, proclaiming, and hiding attributes of masks to empower the masked and unmasked figures in my painting. I embody these figures to represent myself and the struggles I faced as a young woman living in Nigeria. Although the figures bear different faces, I employ the transformative power of the mask to assume the multiple personalities of the different faces present in these pictures. By employing classical African masks to respond to contemporary issues, I intend to rupture the idea of classical African art as objects that should only reside in shrines, courts, or museums. I reimagine masks as part of everyday life and engage it as a metaphor for various emotions and experiences.

The second trajectory of my practice shown in the “Postcards from Dad” series, focuses on the exploration of time and memory by recomposing objects, landscapes and figures from my family photo archive and entries in my late father’s diary to reimagine what his life as a young person would be. In this series, I imagine these compositions as postcards sent by my father to tell me stories of his life through his travels as a young person across Nigeria. The postmarks indicate time and location as entered in my father’s diary. I use my father’s photographic archive and diary to explore ideas of loss and memory in a rapidly evolving world. I explore these archives to highlight personal stories against the background of social and political events, specifically civil conflicts, and pandemic-related loss whose global impact cut across social and economic class. With these memories of my father and period-specific compositions, I invite my audience to connect with memories of their loved ones.