About Exhibition

27 October 2024 - 10 November 2024

In "The Way We Were," Femi Morakinyo invites viewers to journey through a selection of memory, identity, and cultural resonance. This exhibition is a profound exploration of the past, reflecting on how our histories shape our present and inform our future.

In Femi's words, "The Way We Were" is a nostalgic reflection on the cultural heritage, memories, and societal changes within Nigeria and Africa as a whole. This exhibition is deeply rooted in my personal history, inspired by the stamps collected by my father, a passionate philatelist. The stamps, with their detailed designs and markings, ignited my imagination, allowing me to dream of distant places while remaining deeply connected to my African identity.

My art is both a journey through time and a bridge between the past and the present. Through my paintings, I aim to remind viewers of the simplicity, beauty, and humanity that often marked life in earlier times. These works also aim to serve as a reminder to future generations, that art can be used as a tool for preserving and celebrating our traditions, customs and the lived experiences of those who came before us.

The subjects in my paintings are not entirely abstract figures, but people I encountered throughout my upbringing—family members, neighbors, and everyday individuals who shaped my understanding of the world. Through them, I seek to capture a moment in time, a way of life that, while perhaps simpler, was also filled with a distinct richness.

Vintage elements frequently appear in my work: the grandfather clock, the coal iron, old telephones, transistor radios, decorative aluminum pans, typewriters etc. These objects, some now out of use, were once important to daily life, and they hold within them stories of past generations. Fashion, too, plays a significant role, as I explore the elegance of vintage prints and attires that speak to an era of grace and pride in our history.

This exhibition seeks to create an awareness on the importance of preserving and reviving African culture on a global scale. Each work acts as a vessel for stories that spread togenerations, reminding us of our collective responsibility to honor and pass down our traditions, while also embracing how far we’ve come. Through this body of work, I hope to inspire viewers to engage with the richness of African heritage and to recognize it’s continued relevance and influence in shaping the world at large."

E-Catalog

Morakinyo Femi

Morakinyo Oluwafemi is a visual artist born in Akure, Ondo State in 1984. At an early age, Femi was intrigued by the stamps collected by his banker father, which have now become a major source of inspiration for his art style. In his early adulthood, Femi lived briefly with his grandmother, who was a connoisseur of old textiles, hand-painted aluminum pans, and vintage items. He was captivated by most of these items and spent a great deal of time drawing them.

A Fine Art graduate of Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Femi is currently a Senior Art Director in a leading digital advertising agency in Lagos, Nigeria, where he works across diverse areas such as animation, illustration, and design.

As an artist, Femi explores classic and stunning storytelling, capable of evoking nostalgic feelings and taking his viewers on a journey of visual pleasure using his unique stylized painting style, employing acrylic, oil, and charcoal mediums. He portrays his love for vintage art by fusing antique objects into everyday scenarios in dramatic and sometimes amusing ways.