Art x Adẹ

“When the Rains Forgot to Fall” is a haunting visual narrative that explores the human cost of global warming through an African lens. Painted on a round canvas, symbolising the earth's continuity and shared responsibility—the composition immerses the viewer in a parched village landscape drenched in hues of burnt orange, red, and brown. At the centre, two villagers dressed in traditional attire traverse a scorched terrain, burdened with tools and a water vessel—evoking the struggle for survival in a land where rainfall has become scarce. A lone tree with fading foliage and a distant hut hint at the fragility of rural life, while the smoky sky overhead carries an ominous presence. Above them, a large solemn face ancestral looms in the sky, symbolising the watchful sorrow of those who came before, and perhaps the judgment of nature itself. The face also represents a plea: a silent cry for humanity to heed the warnings of a warming planet. This piece blends traditiona...

                          The Cocoa Trees  This painting was inspired by my deep personal affinity with cocoa. My father, along with his siblings and close friends, had leased a large hectare of land for the cultivation of cocoa and other cash crops in Ẹda, in Ekiti State, South West Nigeria. The plantation was a vital source of funding for our education. In fact, my father’s ownership of the farm, located far from our village, gave me my first experience of travelling by lorry. I remember watching trees speeding past, a dazzling and unforgettable experience. For us children, the excitement of the journey often outweighed the purpose behind it. During school holidays, we would travel with my father—sometimes my mother—and many members of our extended family. We would leave early in the morning, often in a lorry that had journeyed all the way from Ikarẹ, about 25 miles away. As we departed, the whole vill...