I love to create art because it allows me to make sense of who I am and where I come from.
You decide who will appear in Artforum Magazine, take home $25,000, and display their work at The Art of Elysium's Salon!
My favorite type of art to create is mixed-media painting. I enjoy combining acrylic paint, African textiles, and collage materials like newsprint to build layered, textured surfaces. This approach allows me to experiment with material, color, and form while exploring themes of identity, memory, and the African diaspora. It gives me the freedom to merge storytelling with abstraction, creating work that feels both personal and dynamic.
Where do you find inspiration?I find inspiration in my lived experience—growing up in Lagos and navigating life in the United States. That movement between cultures shapes how I think about identity, belonging, and memory. I’m also inspired by African textiles, patterns, and everyday materials, which carry history and cultural meaning. Conversations with people, especially within diasporic communities, influence my work as well—their stories, journeys, and perspectives often become part of the narrative I explore.
What would you do with $25,000?With $25,000, I would expand my mixed-media practice by producing a large-scale body of work using textiles, collage, and painting. The funds would support materials, studio production, and professional fabrication, as well as exhibition, documentation, and community programming. This investment would allow me to deepen my exploration of identity and diaspora while increasing the visibility and impact of my work.
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