"Wúrà" Painting

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY Paul Ayihawu is a Lagos-based contemporary gospeller/artist whose practice centres on recognizing the importance of representing both physical and spiritual aspects of his subjects. His distinctive style features finger-stroked vibrant abstractions and weaving techniques. Rooted in personal experiences and spiritual convictions, Ayihawu's art aims to create a balanced narrative that speaks to the essence of humanity. He weaves his faith into his works, capturing the perfect image of one in all and all in one. Ayihawu has exhibited locally and internationally, inviting viewers into a dialogue with identity, history, and spirituality. I am currently researching Nsibidi, an indigenous sign system, as both an archive and a living language. My process involves studying archival materials and the indigenous writing systems, translating selected words and scriptural fragments into Nsibidi, and developing a working index of signs. These translations are incorporated into my paintings as a form of “digital rain,” layered through screen printing and digital methods. Now my practice is driven by research, translation, and experimentation with indigenous knowledge systems through abstraction and traditional weaving techniques. I work with tapestry, painting, digital processes, and print (screen printing), using abstraction as a space where language can break down and re-form. In recent years, I have been exploring ideas that resist direct narration, such as spirituality, memory, and coded knowledge. My work is concerned with how knowledge is preserved, translated, and circulated, and how painting can function as a site where research and material experimentation meet. ARTIST STATEMENT After deciding to pursue my artistry professionally in 2019, I have experimented with varying subject matter and materials in a bid to find what syncs with my identity and is mostly true to me and my beliefs. I found solace after three years of trial in presenting my works in the light of spiritual truth. Recognizing that humans are both physical and spiritual beings, presenting just the physical aesthetic in my work would create a one-sided narrative. Therefore, I strive to find a balance between the spiritual essence and the aesthetic aspect, weaving a tapestry of my faith into my works, which becomes both my driving force and my pursuit of perfection.