In how to hold a Moonbeam, IyunOla interrogates transient Nature Of Life

There is a saying that ‘some artists help us perceive the world more precisely. A rare few go further. They look beyond looking. Theirs is a deeper reality, more felt than seen.’ IyunOla Sanyaolu, like Claude Monet, is one of the artists who provide extra eyes for people to see.

On Saturday, October 26, 2024, Rele Gallery, Lagos, hosted IyunOla’s second solo, which is a natural progression on the themes of human decisions, solitary reflections, and transient experiences, which characterised her debut show.

IyunOluwa, who was awarded ‘Female Visual Artist of the Year’ 2018 in her graduating year, is a strong abstract painter, who is deeply inspired by the techniques used by Western painters, infusing light and texture in ways that, admirers say, evokes a profound sense of calmness.

Her practice is primarily informed by an exploration of texture and sculptural possibilities. In the new show, titled, How To Hold A Moonbeam: How Do You Hold Memory? IyunOla sets her easel to transient nature of humanity, providing extra eye to see the deep.

With over 20 paintings, she takes her visitors through an abstract journey and ethereal tapestries. The creative arts graduate of the University of Lagos devotes the collection to capturing both fleeting and fused moments of life. She invites the viewer to reflect on fading memory and accuracy of human recollections.

The first piece in this new body of work begins in her mother’s garden. IyunOluwa recalls a poignant conversation with her mother that confronts her with mortality.

“In the garden, I saw everything my mother had planted, and I had wondered what life would be when she is no longer here… and how everything she has brought to earth might fade away, how that moment was becoming a memory,” she says. “So, they are more like metaphors for something fading away or something being covered or memories being covered.”

For the show, which she didn’t title the works, but only opting for dates, IyunOla plays with colours and textures. She affirms that she is a huge fan of texture. She texturises with paint residues, something she calls “sculpting with paint”. In her textured paintings, oil assumes the shape of God Zeus, emerging in swaddling clothes, to transform humanity.

She had on display works such as 21st Sept. 2022 (I-VI), 2024, oil, charcoal and acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24 in 61 x 61 cm; 3rd Dec. 2024, 2024, oil, charcoal and acrylic on canvas, 48 x 48 in 121.9 x 121.9 cm; 3rd Jan. 2024, 2024, oil, charcoal and acrylic on canvas, 48 1/2 x 60 in 123.2 x 152.4 cm.

Also on display were 14th April 2022, 2024, oil, charcoal and acrylic on canvas, 48 x 48 in 121.9 x 121.9 cm; 14th Jan. 2023, 2024 oil, charcoal and acrylic on canvas, 48 1/2 x 60 in 123.2 x 152.4 cm; 31st Jan. 2024, 2024, oil, charcoal and acrylic on canvas, 48 x 48 in 121.9 x 121.9 cm; 31st Dec. 2023, 2024, oil, charcoal and acrylic on canvas, 48 1/2 x 60 in 123.2 x 152.4 cm and Time dial (I-IV), 2024, acrylic, charcoal and oil on resin, 12 x 14 in 30.5 x 35.6 cm.

“The project was informed by a short interaction with my mum. And then, I zoned out and I started thinking of moments when she will no longer be here. And then, how the things she has brought with her, especially, her aura, will cease to exist. And I became sad,” she says.

“I mean, I’m human, so, it’s only normal to think of death. And then, I had to bring myself back to the moment, because I noticed I was missing the interaction. And that was me trying to hold on to that moment before it becomes a memory,” IyunOla reveals.

The conversation held about a year ago or thereabout in her mother’s garden. Her mum is a horticulturist, interior designer and decorator. She recalls, this afternoon, as they were in the garden chatting, a very serious thought about death came into her.

“Our garden is out of Lagos. So, I was there for the end of the year. It was also a quiet place. I love quiet places. Lagos is a very loud city. So, I go to that place once in a while to just calm down. And sometimes, to create. Anytime I want to start a new body of work, I find myself always going there to jot down my thoughts. And see how I can develop a body of work.”

She says, “that was what actually influenced me. I’m trying to be talking about memories and how time is moving quite fast. How time moves and how I’m trying to hold on to the moment before it passes.”

IyunOla continues, “I think I’m someone who really enjoys talking about conversations around life. Even after life. So, I do think about it. Like I said, I’m human, so, it’s only normal. It’s inevitable to not think about it.”

She adds, “there are definitely moments in the past that I remember. But I don’t know why at that particular moment it kind of moved me, because she was standing in her garden, actually; and almost everywhere turned black and white. That’s when I thought of her moving that way.”

The title actually came out of watching her favourite movie of all time, Sound of Music. “And that’s also my mother’s favourite movie,” she says. “I just used it to relate to memory: Memory being stubborn; something that wants to move on. Just like time, memory being stubborn. So, I decided to use movie to describe moving time. And then, how do you hold memory? Is me just throwing out a question to my viewers; people that feel my problems. Asking them, how do they hold memory? Because, personally, how I hold memory is quality time.”

Inspired majorly by inner perceptions, IyunOla’s conversation with her mother ends up as therapy for her. She sees life, thus, as a hook holding reality together.

“Sometimes, it’s as a result of an accidental discovery which happens most times during experiments. I’m also inspired naturally by my environment and culture.

Passionate about oil, because of its versatility, IyunOla says, “it doesn’t dry fast unlike other known painting mediums, so, it’s easier for me to achieve results I want in my works.”

How would she describe herself?

“I’m very much opposite. I’m reserved. I’m always to myself. But I think my works are louder than I am. And I think they talk louder than I am. And that’s why I’m very excited to be an artist. I believe that. They can talk for me. Their voice is louder than my voice.”

She says, “I’m very calm. You need something to complement. You know; the craziness of palette strokes. You know, to calm it down. At the same time, I’m also very interested in the elements of art. Like colour wheel. I also create with colours a lot. I love mixing colours. Like, the process of mixing colours is also very important in practice.”

On her first impression of the show, Eniola Ayodeji, an art enthusiast, says it is the colour. “When I walked in, I was like wow so many colours. But when I looked through the catalogue, and I started reading more about the artists, then I started seeing the meaning behind the paintings. I think it’s complex, but also very simple, because she tells a lot of stories about her childhood. So, in all, I would describe the works as beautiful and colourful.”