Meet The Artist
Hi there! Thanks for visiting my website. I'm a Nigerian born artist, presently based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where I live with my family.
To be honest, when I first stepped into art full-time, it felt a little overwhelming. Before that, art lived in the margins of my life—something I did whenever I could find the time around a full-time job. Because of that, I wasn't really connected to my local art community, and even when I made the occasional sale, I didn't quite see my paintings as something that belonged in that space… they felt more like meaningful gifts for family and friends.
Then something shifted.
Back in 2009, a fellow artist said something to me that stayed with me: "You need to put your art out there." It was simple, but it changed everything. They encouraged me to show my work, to bring it in front of collectors, to actually engage with the art community. So, I took a leap and entered one of my paintings into a group exhibition featuring over 50 artists. I remember thinking, if I can sell just one piece in this show, that would mean everything.
And then… it sold!
Not only did it sell, but it was acquired by a highly regarded Nigerian art collector. That moment was a turning point. It gave me the kind of validation I hadn't allowed myself to feel before; that my work had value beyond my immediate circle, and that it truly deserved to be seen.
But that wasn't the only defining moment for me that year.
As I became more involved in the Nigerian art scene, I started meeting collectors and art enthusiasts, which also meant opening myself up to honest feedback. I remember one particular conversation with a potential collector. I showed my work with confidence, but their reaction caught me off guard. They didn't connect with it. When I asked why, they said the colours were too dark… and beyond that, the overall mood of my work was quite somber. They told me, very candidly, that my work seemed to reflect my state of mind, and that they didn't like what it was projecting.
That moment stayed with me.
It made me pause and reflect deeply, not just on my art, but on myself. I began to recognize that the anxiety and uncertainty I felt about fully committing to my art had quietly found its way into my work. I hadn't set out to express it, but it was simply there.
This realization changed everything.
I became more intentional about my life and my practice. I immersed myself in learning, studied with purpose, and over time, I began to see a shift. My work started to feel lighter, more open, more expressive. I found inspiration in the world around me, in relationships, everyday forms, colours, and patterns in my immediate environment. This gradually evolved into my exploration of women in Nigerian traditional attire, an ongoing journey through colour, form, and texture.
Texture became essential to my expression, which naturally drew me to working with oil and acrylic on canvas. Today, my work centers on themes of culture, community, and connection, expressed through colour palettes that evoke joy, warmth, and reflection.
In a way… my art healed me 😊 It helped me understand myself more deeply.
My hope is that when you experience my paintings, they offer something meaningful to you as well. I'd truly love to hear what you see or feel when you engage with them. I'm always open to that conversation.
In My Own Words
My practice explores culture, connection, memory and the emotional language of colour. I paint the relationships and traditions that have shaped who I am, and the ways they continue to travel with me across countries and generations.
I have been surrounded by women my whole life — my mother, sisters, spouse, daughters, aunties, cousins, friends and colleagues. Their strength, warmth, resilience and humour have taught me what community looks like. The women in my paintings are not portraits of specific people; they are symbolic figures representing experiences and relationships larger than any one person.
I am interested in the tension between individuality and collective identity — what happens when we remain ourselves while also becoming part of something larger. This is the question at the heart of my work.
Texture and colour allow me to communicate emotions that are difficult to express through words. The layered surfaces, built with palette knife and paint, hold the physical presence of my hand — the decisions, the movement, the feeling. I hope the paintings speak to you the way they speak to me: as a reminder that we are shaped by the people around us, and that belonging is something we carry with us.
Rooted in Aso Ebi
Aso Ebi is a Nigerian tradition in which family members, friends or members of a community wear coordinated fabric, particularly during weddings, celebrations, funerals and other significant occasions.
More than matching clothing, Aso Ebi can become a visible declaration of relationship and belonging. The fabric identifies people as part of a shared social circle. It communicates unity while still allowing each individual to express themselves through styling, gesture and presence.
This idea is central to Rooted Together. In my paintings, coordinated clothing becomes both portrait and pattern. The repeated colours, forms and gestures suggest a collective identity, while differences in posture, colour and texture preserve individuality.
The paintings ask: How much of ourselves do we retain when we become part of a group? And how do traditions of belonging change as they travel across generations, countries and diasporas?
