By Osa Amadi

Affen Segun, professionally known as Ojay Artworks, grew up in Lagos Island. He attended St David Anglican Primary School, near Tafawa Belewa Square. His parents discovered his talents in art during his childhood and therefore took him to a roadside artist, Mr Tajudeen, as an apprentice.

While on the apprenticeship, he started drawing comics, super striker, Malcom X and cartoons.

Most of what Segun learned from Mr Tajudeen were screen printing, banners, stamps carving, writing of neon signs, etc., which he said were not really what he wanted to learn. “I wanted to start learning how to draw human beings. I had grabbed all those signs writing within three months,” he said.

Eventually, he started painting, and his major source of inspiration was a box of Ankara wrappers belonging to his mother, Aderonke, from where the title of his first solo exhibition, Omo Adérónké’, was derived.

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His other sources of inspiration are the African culture, motherhood and tradition. Segun says every painting he has done has a storyline.

“I must get my storyline right, and when I get my storyline, I start looking for the faces that fit perfectly into the story I am trying to tell.”

According to a statement from the organisers of the exhibition, Affen Segun’s streamlined art has been able to get him recognition from outside the country like in the UK where he has had several exhibitions, award nominations and magazine features.

The Omo Adérónké exhibition, curated by Tiwa Adegbuyi, features paintings done with Acrylic and Ankara fabric on canvas.

It celebrates motherhood, brotherhood and women of colour.

The exhibition which opened to the public on Friday, December 11, runs throughout Sunday, December 12, 2021, at Angels and Muse, 5 Sumbo Jibowu, off Ribadu, off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. Omo Adérónké is being presented by Doble Seis Entertainment.

Vanguard News Nigeria