Image: She and I. The Secret Keepers by Ayobola Kekere-Ekun, (Mixed Media: paper, fabric and acrylic on canvas) 2020
Wana Udobang interviews artist Abyobola Kekere-Ekun who “paints with paper.” They discuss her 3-dimensional epiphany, the freedom she found limiting herself to a certain medium, fighting the cycle of mediocrity in education, and more.
From Kekere Ekun’s website:
Ayobola Kekere-Ekun is a contemporary visual artist. She was born in Lagos, Nigeria. Her B.A. and M.A. in Visual arts were received from the Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos; where she majored in Graphic Design. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Art and Design at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Ayobola is also a Lecturer at the Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos.
Ayobola’s work often explores subjects connected to gender, mythology, power and the human condition in a multi-layered way; creating work through a labour-intensive process. Her work is heavily informed by personal experiences and observations. She is particularly interested in exploring the subtle interplay of time, space, gender, power and social structures in contemporary society.
Ayobola works predominantly with a technique known as quilling, in which strips of paper are individually shaped to create forms. She tends to quill with a variety of materials that respond well to the technique; including ribbon and strips of canvas. She constantly experiments with new ways of exploring materials and their capabilities. Ayobola views the intricacy of her work as a visual metaphor of the complexity of the subject matter she engages with.