Beyond MFA Program Explorations: Oil Paintings

The year 2018 promises to be a great one creatively. These paintings are directed towards further synchronization of Yoruba traditional Adire-eleko motifs and popular Nigeria cultural themes. The paintings were rendered loosely with painting-knife. C & C welcome.

'Drumbeats' Oil on Canvas, 18" x 24" 2018

'Milk Maid IV' Oil on Canvas, 18" x 24" 2018

Beyond MFA Program Explorations: Pen & Ink Drawings

Happy New Year folks.

I appreciate and thank you for your encouragement and presence out there always. Various creative events took place between August 2017 till date, through it all I thank God for bringing me this far in my creative efforts. Some were very successful and appealing while others had to be left the way they are most especially the pen and ink media that is not easy to correct due to it’s quick drying attributes. Below are some of the Pen & Ink drawings for your visual feast, comments are welcome:

‘Eso Ori’ 24.5 x 37 cm. 2017

‘Family Business 2’ 50 x 70 cm. 2017.

‘Family Business’ 50 x 70 cm. 2017.

‘Mother & Child’ 24.5 x 37 cm. 2017.

’Rehearsal’ 24.5 x 37 cm. 2017.

’Harmattan Memoir’ 24.5 x 37 cm. 2017.

’Harmattan Memoir’ (detail)

’White Swan’ 24.5 x 37 cm. 2017.

’White Swan’ (detail)

Zaria Landscape Serie _Within the City

The rains have reduced and the climate is beginning to take a different turn. Life continues in the city quietly as usual. What a beautiful peaceful environment to behold everywhere. 

'Beyond the street'  Oil on canvas 2017

'Brisk Business' Oil on canvas 2017

'T-junction' Oil on canvas 2017

'On Errand' Oil on canvas 2017

'Beyond the street 2'  Oil on canvas 2017

Transformation of Adire Eleko Motifs into Painting (Part 2)

Concluding part of the pictorial synopsis of: https://ajayi-oluseyi.blogspot.com.ng/2017/08/transformation-of-adire-eleko-motifs.html

The exploratory stage involved fusion and juxtaposition of groups of motifs to create expressive paintings through series of artistic exploration of balance and rhythm.

‘Dye Pots’, 'Seyi AJAYI.

Acrylic on Canvas., 95 x 125cm. 2016.

  ‘Dye Pots’ composition was based on method of cloth dyeing in the 1930s. Three motifs (agboorun, alagada, ibo) and two human figures dyeing cloths in dye-pots were combined and presented in inverted-S line formation relating to Hogarth line of beauty’s rhythmic line.

‘Adire Artist II’, 'Seyi AJAYI

Mixed Media. 47 x 67cm, 2016.

‘Adire Artist II’ is a stylized image of the adire eleko artist painting designs on a piece of cloth. Different sizes of Tolo-tolo motif were creatively fused to support the subject.

‘Iya-ilu’, 'Seyi AJAYI

Oil on Canvas. 75 x 90cm. 2016

 ‘Iya-ilu’ was adapted from two motifs of Pepeye. The painting’s title was generated from the similitude of what the composition assumes: Iya-ilu (Mother of drums), a Yoruba traditional talking-drum used in conjunction with other drums like omele and bata during ceremonies.

‘Giant Stride’, 'Seyi AJAYI

Oil on Canvas. 82 x 104cm. 2016.

 ‘Giant Stride’ was created from two aye-kooto (parrot) motifs: one full motif takes almost half of the composition while a duplicate, half from the head, is positioned at the upper right third. Form of an implied human torso with stretched out limbs emerged from the fused motifs.

The stylistic stage dwelt on the bird, chameleon and snake motifs, emblems of the motifs as signs in the context of related proverbs were considered and transformed into contemporary paintings.

‘Ina Njo’, 'Seyi AJAYI. Oil on Canvas

75.5 x 120.5cm. 2016.

‘Ina Njo’ translated ‘Burning Flame’ is an abstract painting adapted from the Yoruba proverb, “Adaba ko naani a nkun’gbe, ina njo, eye nlo ni” (Wild-fire does not distress the dove, as the flames begin to spread, the bird flies away). The picture plane is bathed in parabola rhythmic lines rendered with mild brushstrokes revealing an abstracted parrot motif and also denotes wind-breaks in the supposed billowing smoke from the wild-fire.

‘Aaro Meta’, 'Seyi AJAYI.

Oil on Canvas. 70 x 90cm. 2016.

Bird’s motif in Yoruba worldview represents authority which is portrayed in ‘Aaro Meta’, an abstract painting composition adapted from the proverb, “Aaro meta, ki i d’obe nu” (Tripod fire-place does not overturn the stew). It is a social commentary on polygamous family life. With the co-operation of the wives, there is little they cannot make the husband do if they so wish.

‘Anjorin’, 'Seyi AJAYI. Oil on Canvas. 80 x 100cm. 2016.

 ‘Anjorin’ is an abstract expressive painting adapted from the snake motif. The composition revolves around the Yoruba proverb, “Ai ko’wo po ejo ni n je omo ejo ni’ya” (The refusal of snakes to move together is what makes them to suffer). Unpredictable swift movement of snakes could be very lethal when it comes to dealing with threats. But unfortunately they are rarely seen moving together and therefore become prone to easy death. The painting explores spiral line of rhythm.

‘United’, 'Seyi AJAYI. Acrylic on Canvas.

71 x 76cm, 2016.

’United’ is an abstract expressionistic painting based on implied positive aspect of the proverb: Ai ko’wo po ejo ni n je omo ejo ni’ya (The refusal of snakes to move together is what makes them to suffer). Where snakes are united in their forest forages it could be very dangerous for predators.

‘Blossom’, 'Seyi AJAYI. Acrylic on Canvas.

60 x 120cm. 2016.

 ‘Blossom’ illustrates the symbolic meaning of the alagemo motif (colour and transformation personified). Filling almost half of the picture plane on the right is an implied motif of Opon-iro resembling the outburst of a dandelion or swan flower that relies on wind for the dispersal of its seed.

‘Like Begets Like’, 'Seyi AJAYI.

Acrylic on Canvas. 100 x 120cm. 2016.

‘Like Begets Like’ was inspired by the symbolic meaning of Alagemo (chameleon) in Yoruba word-view supported by the proverb, “Alagemo ti bi omo re tan, aimo’jo ku si owo omo alagemo”, which literarily means, “The chameleon is done giving birth the baby’s inability to dance is left to it”. The painting is a visual stylization of the subject matter, alagemo motif, using polygons of varied sizes adapted from regular pattern formation of Ibadan dun and supported by rhythmic Hogarth line of beauty.

Thank you for viewing this summary of a wonderful academic encounter.

Transformation of Adire Eleko Motifs into Painting (Part 1)

Synopsis of recently concluded MFA degree program at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. (2015 - 2017). The study titled, Transformation of Yoruba Traditional Adire Eleko Motifs into Painting was inspired by the images of Yoruba traditional adire eleko motifs. Selected motifs were taken beyond fabric decorative elements through painterly analysis and exploration that climaxed into contemporary symbolic interpretations rendered in varied media. The findings and report revolved around the premise of embedded aesthetic qualities that the images of Yoruba traditional adire eleko motifs are endowed with. Data analysis exposed thirty-five cloth-designs of Yoruba traditional adire eleko, out of which Ibadan dun design was selected for preliminary studies of the embedded motifs.

Ibadan Dun Patterns, Ajayi Oluseyi,

Computer Enhanced Visual. 2015.

Twelve of the motifs were purposely selected for further exploration categorized into three stages: analytic, exploratory and stylistic.

Sketches, Man-made Images: Alagada; Ibo; Agboorun.

Down L to R: Opo Ile Mapo; Sokoto; Opon Iro. 'Seyi AJAYI. 2015.

Sketches, Natural Images: Pepeye; Aye-kooto; Tolotolo.

Down L to R: Alagemo; Ejo; Akeeke. 'Seyi AJAYI. 2015

The first category of work dwelt on painterly expressions of the clothing’s primary function and rendition of individual motif’s endowed elements.

‘Exposure’,  'Seyi AJAYI.

Acrylic on Canvas, 90 x 110cm. 2015.

‘Exposure’ is a representational painting that revolves around the role of adire eleko as aso-ebi (family cloth); reflection on a traditional rite in some part of Yoruba land such as Ijofin and Ago Sasa in Ogun State of Nigeria, where tradition demands that a newly wedded wife should visit the town and sweep places such as her in-law’s compound and the market place supported by some of her friends who are attired in aso-ebi with drummers playing along.

‘Dialogue’, 'Seyi AJAYI.

Acrylic on Canvas, 74.5 x 90cm. 2015.

‘Dialogue’ is a representational painting portraying adire eleko in domestic use. Apparently the subjects are on a trip to the stream for water but decided to sort out issues peculiar to women folk behind the huts.

‘Alagada’, 'Seyi AJAYI

Acrylic on Canvas. 61 x 61cm. 2015

The painting titled ‘Alagada’ was achieved with manipulation of two basic shapes; circle and quadrilateral, rendered with palette knife. It was an attempt at abstracted magnification of an otherwise simple design to create rhythmic shapes. The motif was traditionally created from an automobile’s radiator fan

‘Akekee’, 'Seyi AJAYI.

Oil on Canvas, 71 x 76cm, 2015.

The picture plane of ‘Akekee’ is predominantly blue. Orange, the complimentary of blue was chosen for the scorpion in the background of the composition to portrays the image emerging from the dark, peculiar to scorpion in the natural. 

Continued: https://ajayi-oluseyi.blogspot.com.ng/2017/08/transformation-of-adire-eleko-motifs_1.html

Chronicle Serie B (The Seed)

One painting with two different sub text viewed either way. The painting is a social commentary on the genesis of conjugal intimacy between man and woman titled, "First Contact" that culminates in the revelation of a newly born baby, "The Seed". The colour scheme was chosen to reflect the associated glowing excitement. Enjoy the visual feast.

"First Contact"

"The Seed": 'Seyi Ajayi. Acrylic on Canvas. 90 x 121cm. 2016

Zaria Landscape Serie

The rains are seriously back here in Zaria, Kaduna State of Nigeria and the landscape has beautifully changed from the bleached light-sienna dried grassland, interspersed with occasional black-terrained expanse of land (aftermath of accidental bush-fire) into appealing hues of green scenery everywhere you turn. Hordes of cattles are found grazing quietly with the sherpherds watching over them here and there, while sometimes, path-ways become difficult to trek or ride through on bicycle.

The following paintings are the beginning of a landscape serie started on June 10th (Self birth-day), with the determination to push it onto the end of the year. Different types of views would be considered in the process of loose-rendering the paintings with sizes ranging from 40 x 50 cm to 64 x 76 cm. Thank you for being a part of the creative process, Comments are appreciatively welcome, or e-mail: seyiajayistudios@gmail.com..

'Close-by' Ajayi Oluseyi. Oil on Canvas, 40 x 46cm. 2017

'Serenity' Ajayi Oluseyi. Oil on Canvas, 40 x 46cm. 2017