Beyond The Canvas: Spring 2021 Edition
Laju Sholola
Laju Sholola is a self-taught artist who explores the nuances of the human form stemming from personal feelings in a wide variation of past and present experiences. The recurring theme in her work is self- discovery and finding beauty in imperfections. This is conveyed by unique contour patterns, shapes, and textures of the female body, using acrylics medium on canvas.
She recently began to explore a minimalist approach to her works with English tea and Indian ink. “This shift allows me to intricately reflect my inner journey through the female portraitures of my imaginary subjects (friends or family), to create an unfinished aesthetic look that captures self-realization, doubts, fears, uncertainties and hope in the evolution of oneself. It is my hope that these commonalities mirror the feelings that people can identify with irrespective of the differences in culture, background, race, and gender.”
Olushola Ogunjobi
Olushola Ogunjobi is a conceptual artist and independent art historian. Olushola creates amorphous silhouettes exploring themes related to identity, freedom, migration, cultural norms and human relationship.
Drawing on art history and personal experiences, he uses his work as a social commentary and describes his creative process as spontaneous. “The idea dictates the flow of carefully rendered ink on cardboard papers, canvases and my most recent inclusion of the local dye, Gadura.”
Olushola is currently working on a new series titled “Aroko”. The series takes an introspective view into the history and modern concept of message encryption. In this context, he examines the practice in Yoruba culture before colonialism and technology.
Roanna Tella
Roanna Tella’s art captures melancholic moods and invites viewers to project their own interpretations, and raises questions of coping mechanisms. She depicts distorted figures and creates a universe that explores how individuals respond to traumatic experiences of grief and loss, and find the courage to carry on.
In doing so, she urges her audience to “explore grief not only as a solitary event to be traversed, but to get comfortable with viewing it as a state of mind, always there, sometimes shifting forward, oftentimes retreating.”
Roanna is currently working on incorporating hand-sewn designs and stories in her work. This serves as a meditative practice for tracing emotions and triggers.