3 WORKS FOR 3 MOTHERS

I found myself humming the melodies of an old but popular yoruba song “IYA NI WURA” that goes something like “iya nu wura biye biye, ti a ko le fowo ra” // “a mother is as priceless as a gem that can never be bought”. I hummed it over and over again till my thoughts began to align in rememberance and reverence of these 3 mothers in my life-

I have had the chance to know these 3 matriarchs more deeply over the past year- Fatimoh (my mother), Zaynab (my sister) , and Dana (my partner’s mother) and I wanted to capture all the power, grace, beauty and uniqueness they embodied but also do something to honor their stories in a way that was true to them, in the way I have come to know them!. This work was one full of reflection- seeing myself through them as I see them through my eyes granted me moments of pause and clarity to continue to see and appreciate them in their complexity of being. I am happy to love them and share this life with them. 

3 works for 3 mothers is really about love, using my work as a voice and medium to conjure love and all emotions that exist within it in a form that even words can sometimes fail to describe. I AM SO GRATEFUL for this moment- and the universe that has granted me healing and abundance in creativity to channel through to my loved ones. I gifted the paintings to these 3 mothers and hope they continue to hold the power imbued in them! 

Studio Notes:

The work even feels different, I felt very empowered by the bold ways I was able to reclaim and transform the cultural energy of my African/Black/Nigerian/Yoruba heritage in my sculpture work. I want to call this moment “IPADAWA” meaning “return”- in the way this work invigorates a visual interest original to my identity and work. This moment feels like a sacred sweet spot between abstract expression and cultural bliss, a reconstruction of the traditional, a reimagination of the past into the present by energetically transforming cultural objects/figures into modern emblems of significance. 

Looking forward to the journey with this work! Exciting times are ahead

06/08/2023