BUSH BOY!

: debut solo exhibition 

On View: December 8th- Jan 9th

Chesapeake Arts Center

194 Hammonds Lane

Brooklyn Park, MD

VIEW THE EXHIBITION BOOK HERE

Growing up in Nigeria, family members would seldom call me “Bush Boy” because of the energetic and inquisitive nature of the world that I possessed. Autobiographical in nature, BUSH BOY! depicts the evolution and journey of a young child who once embraced the world with naivete to a now- strong-willed artist, living vehemently through their art.  

This body of work is a cohesive arrangement of paintings, mixed media, and visual installations that signify my artistic rebirth in a very animalistic fashion. The expressions in this exhibition reflect my past experiences as they continue to shape my present and future. Paintings like omo grandma, zenith, and migration, echo all of my voices of self and capture the essence of that self-re-defining journey from a third-person perspective. BUSH BOY! also serves as a revelation product of the metamorphosis of gender and masculinity. Works like The Man in the Suit, Idahun Mi, and the On Guard photograph series address societal constructions and performativity of masculinity while revealing the vibrancy and fluidity embracing genderqueer-ness brings. 

The ethos of my work is defined by what it means to be human, investigating humanity as a product of social conditions and all -isms. Reflected in paintings like life is matter, cows they’re domesticating us, and Kapital Kronies and others, BUSH BOY! relates my changes in philosophy and thought regarding life and consciousness, capitalism, work, and overconsumption to the viewer. 

Much like a journey, BUSH BOY! is the product of a ritualistic rebirth and metamorphosis of SELF, inviting viewers to reflect and seek meaning in their humanity. Challenging the statement, “that’s just how it is” with a more human-centered question- “does it have to be that way?”, These works invite the viewer to re-examine and better their understanding of our shared human conditions. 

Let us travel through this Bush of Life together.