By Onyeka Ezike

Kokopelli Art Gallery is debuting Ronke Komos’ “What Endures, What Fades”, a compelling solo exhibition that reflects on the customs, trends and cultural memories that shape communal identity.

In a time of constant flux, this body of work navigates the tension between preservation and transformation, nostalgia and more importantly, evolution. The exhibition which kicked off 11 May will run daily till June 13, 2025, at Kokopelli Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The Gallery has proven to be an experimental space with an extemporaneous approach to the evolution of the Art space where raconteurs and aesthetics converge for related engagements.

In this exhibition, Komos explores the delicate balance between continuity and change, questioning how customs, fashion and cultural identity evolve across generations. Drawing from her personal archive of photographs, she revives and reimagines visual fragments of history, creating a poignant dialogue between collective memory and individual identity.

Through a series of vibrant, mixed-media works, the exhibition delves into the fluidity of tradition, why certain elements endure while others fade into distant recollection. Pieces like Box TV – “Apoti Fedeko Age” and “Village Christmas Age” speak to familial nostalgia, while “Kori-Kosun, 5&6 Age” contemplates the shifting dynamics of friendship and community in a digitally connected world.

Fashion becomes both subject and storytelling device. The “Peperempe Age” celebrates bold self-expression across time; The “Aso-Ofi Age transforms woven heritage into sleek contemporary form and The “Handmade Hat Age” reimagines cultural pride through the changing symbolism of church fashion.

  Komos’ work resonates with themes of memory, presence and absence, inviting viewers to reflect on the emotional landscapes that shape identity. Her pieces do not provide definitive answers, they open a space for conversation: How do we preserve traditions without stagnation? How do we adapt them without erasure and ultimately, what truly endures, and what fades?

‘What Endures, What Fades’ is not only an exhibition, it is a space for remembrance, redefinition and renewal.