What was the inspiration behind this work?

In 2008, as a part of my thesis research for a Master's degree in Architecture, I travelled to Lagos, Nigeria, where I spent most of my time interviewing and carrying out various case studies of the Makoko fishing community. At the time I was looking into designing housing options that relied on recycling the materials in the area and redesigning the community’s transport systems. I learned about the history of the community and the pride they hold in their way of life. With my outsider gaze, I had assumed so much that turned out to be false about their way of life. The site visit left an impact on my psyche and life in general.

As a child growing up in Nigeria, I was privileged to have the opportunity to travel and see places in Europe, America and South America. The combined results of these early travel experiences helped shape and broaden my view of the world. As an artist, I enjoy meeting new people and learning about history and various cultural practices. I view travel as a good way to break away from my daily routine and see what life is like elsewhere. It allows me to value what I have and envision other possibilities based on what I have seen successfully done in other places. 

When I migrated from Nigeria to Canada, I was first struck by the change in the climate. The tropical weather of the Nigerian climate was in stark contrast to the temperate and overall cold nature of the Canadian weather. The use of warm and cold colours in the composition is my way of referencing this change in weather.

What role has ambition played in your artistic journey?

When I decided to make a shift in my career from Architecture to Art in 2010 it felt like a calling. The intensity at which I applied myself to my paintings fuelled every facet of my life. I wanted to learn more about art, specifically painting, and read many books about other artists and their lives and started modelling my work and life after them. My practice failed many times over the years, but every time it did, I was able to gather the pieces, the lessons and the criticisms and build again from scratch. I have been ambitious in transitioning from topics and sources of inspiration in my work over the years as well as experimenting with materials, found objects in the work and most recently, technology. I find that my artistic goals and aspirations keep me grounded and focused when life gets crazy.