Songbird Painting

I am a self-taught figurative painter. I am Nigeria-born, grew up in Lagos and of the Yoruba ethnic tribe of Southern Nigeria. I have lived in the United States since 2008, during which time I have had the opportunity to live and work in other countries such as South Africa and Ghana, as a human capital and organization development expert. I am also actively involved in non-profit work, focused on women’s empowerment across Sub-Sahara Africa, with focus on women living with HIV and promoting positive mental health practices. In my work as a human capital expert, I often deal with issues regarding representation, human aspirations, self- identity and actualization, internal growth struggles and equity. My Style I enjoy acrylics on canvas! I use bold images and colors, and I think this is a heavy influence from my African heritage and my Yoruba cultural influences which tend to be vibrant. My Influences & Motivations My cultural affiliations and influences are multi-dimensional as a Yoruba woman, an African, a black woman in America, a professional in human sciences, an LGBTQ Ally and as a mother. I consider my artwork as contemporary art and my expressions showcase diversity of backgrounds, human issues, self-identity and a reflection of the times we currently live. I hope to convey joy, pain, vulnerability, hope, love and resilience. I also express the struggle of selfidentify and I intentionally work to show representation in my images. This part of my work is important to me as I strongly believe that Art gives voice. I work to show interactions and expressions in ways that create appreciation for the diversity of humanity. This aspect is a major driver that keeps me going in my Art journey and influences the subject matters that I use. I feel satisfied with a piece when I feel it’s authenticity and that the message conveyed includes representation, reflection, honesty and an appreciation of life and human connection.