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March 17, 2025 – April 11, 2025

Beneath the Surface

Olukorede Ojelade

SwanCITI - Olukorede Ojelade

SwanCITI, Silk Thread on Stiff Fabric, 19.5in x 28 in, $1800

I am a craftsman extraordinaire who employs individual silk threads, creating unique works of art. I am intrigued by the interplay and meshing of various design fields with the boundaries, fluid and basic tenets flowing seamlessly across the world of design. I’ve had an eclectic experience thus far with architecture as a formal backbone, while my reaching fingers cross-pollinate with graphics, product and craft design.
My paintings are often underpinned by a jumble of ideas or a general vision. This could be in form of a phrase, concept or visual imagery. However, the materiality of the medium also guides the creative process intuitively.

Wielding the African Net - Olukorede Ojelade

Wielding the African Net, Silk Thread on Board, 18in x 18in, $1500

What is Broken - Olukorede Ojelade

What is Broken, Silk Thread on Board, 12in x 15in, $800

Korede_Ojelade_'Journey_through_African_Lands'.jpg

Journey through African Lands, Silk Thread on Board, 15in x 18in, $1200

I source inspiration from the world around, Lagos, a cosmopolitan megacity in West Africa, the built environment and human society, mulling over ideas until a creative spark bursts into flame. I employ the enigmatic, infusing multiple layers of meaning, seeking to connect  with a diversity of viewers. 
The pieces I have chosen are centered around the concept of plumbing the depths. Subterranean employs the metaphor of pits, craters to reference undercurrents in the human psyche, while What is  Broken forces us to look deeper beyond the surface gaiety we use to mask pain. SwanCITI and Wielding the African Net unapologetically revel in oceanic depths, whether highlighting the delicate dance between natural ecology and human settlements, or celebrating African prowess across oceans and continents. I executed Journey through African Lands during the Mirror Africa 2022 workshop, delving deep into the continent's interior delineating it to the western observer as a collection of distinctive colourful nations rather than a singular block.
A few of the paintings I executed practically nonstop from inception to finish. Mostly though, there were intervals of varying degrees between start and end point.  However, as always, there was that sense of relief associated with birthing the culmination of each piece.

Subterranean - Olukorede Ojelade

Subterranean, Silk Thread on Board, 22in x 24in, $1200

About Olukorede Ojelade

Olukorede Ojelade was born in Ibadan, in South-Western Nigeria. She is a silk craftsman extraordinaire who handcrafts paintings with individual threads. Her design background in architecture, forays in graphics and product design enhance her craft. Her inspiration comes from nature’s fluidity, the jagged edges of urbanity, and cosmopolitan Lagos. Growing recognition has resulted in her participation in exhibitions and creative workshops across continents. Some include ‘Emerging’, Metuchen, USA (2023), ‘Mirror Africa 2022 ‘and Divulgarti Group’s 'Ad Astra', Palazzo Ducale, Genoa (2021).
 

In recent times, ‘Korede’s art has been featured in The Gallery by MUI's ‘In Bloom: Celebrating Women in Art 2023’ collection. Insights into her design process have been published in the FLORA Vol.4 Winter Edition. You can also find her work featured in Artwanted's new book ‘Creative Minds Vol.2‘., and LAMINATOR Vol.1 Zine newly released in 2024. ‘Korede resides in Lagos, a West African megacity.

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Olukorede Ojelade

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