blackstudio.io

"eniyan lasho mi" is a yoruba expression meaning "people are my clothes." this metaphor embodies the warmth, support, protection, beauty, and all the values clothing and fashion holds for individuals and society. the series reflects how people can become our shelter, our adornment, and our source of strength. without clothes we are naked. each painting uses a color palette derived from Dutch wax prints, specifically from outfits my mom has sent to me over the years since i left nigeria. after all these years, immigration becomes naturalisation and a nigerian expat becomes a dutch yoruba man. dutch wax has a deep resonance for me. it is not only a vibrant part of yoruba culture but also an emblem of my personal history. today, living in the netherlands, i see dutch wax as a poetic symbol—every piece of cloth from my past feels like a subtle foreshadowing, and every print i encounter now is a reminder of the fulfilment of that journey. beyond honoring the living, i consider my ancestors to be an essential part of my community. i incorporate elements from the yoruba gelede tradition to celebrate and acknowledge their presence, inviting their wisdom into the present. this exhibition is a story of my journey, filled with the profound wisdom, joys, and memories that life has offered me through knowledge of self and knowledge of community. it is a story told not in isolation, but also through the celebration of all those who have walked with me, encountered me, supported me, and shaped my path—both those who are living and those who have passed on. i wear my gratitude to them like clothes every morning.