SEEKING to explore the collision of the mundane and the mythic, where bumper sticker slogans meet celestial battles and angels share canvas space with Lagos streets motifs and other intriguing oddities; renowned artist, Demola Ogunajo’s first solo exhibition is holding at Soto Gallery in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Titled, Womb 2 Street and running from November 5 to December 8, 2025 at the gallery’s grounds, Ogunajo said the 20 works in the show are an exploration of his inner preoccupation. “There’s this affinity to present works that affect people positively. It’s a kind of an inner urge, inner call, kind of an inner responsibility to affect people positively. All the works presented in this exhibition come from my faith as a Christian and is geared towards that direction. It explores the idea of Christ-consciousness and a life that is lived in the awareness of the presence of God.”
Using his art to explore the philosophical complexities of modern life, with a particular interest in the symbolism of objects, often imbued with spiritual, religious and political undertones; the works draw from and showcase Nigeria’s kinetic visual culture: truck decals, barbershop signage and comic book heroics.
His works on canvas are filled with paradox; playful yet profound, cartoonish yet cosmic, they interrogate themes of transcendence, divine struggle, and the absurdity of modern life through a lexicon of symbols that is both personal and universal.
At the heart of his practice is a relentless reimagining of identity and belief systems, tracing his alchemy of the everyday, applying his distinct practice to embark on an exploration of Christ-consciousness and exploring what it means to be open about your faith and delving even deeper by interrogating the tension between two worlds that exist between the richness of traditional heritage as a Yoruba man and the clarity of his Christian belief.
With his works, faith is neither hidden nor sanitised and challenges the secular biases of the art world while refusing to reduce spirituality to dogma. By fusing Yoruba visual traditions with Christian iconography, he proposes a radical inclusivity in which faith and culture coexist in a dynamic relationship.
The multi-media artist whose oft-used medium of expression remains acrylic on canvas, said his works invites viewers to confront the visceral reality of spiritual warfare, the ecstasy of divine connection and the daily negotiations of belief in a fractured world. In an era where identity and belief are increasingly politicized, Ogunajo’s paintings offer a transcendent vision: faith as lived experience, tradition as evolving dialogue, and art as a site of fearless testimony.
This exhibition not only solidifies his place as a vital voice in African contemporary art but also redefines what it means to engage with the sacred in public space.
One of the pieces in the exhibition, Plummed Heart, captures his essence and message. Describing it as a heart covered in feathers with wings, he said it speaks about love and empathy. “It speaks about the omnipresent nature of God, of what love is supposed to be and that I will say really captures the essence of the show. All my works are based on creative ideals rooted in faith and consciousness, which helps me focus on what I do and relate with people, and all my creativity is an expression of faith and my journey as a Christian,” he said.
Describing himself as an ‘authentic voice’ without external influences, he said some of the works in the exhibition span a journey of about two decades till as recent as a few months ago.
An art graduate from the Obafemi Awolowo University, the conceptual artists said he has participated in a number of exhibitions locally and internationally and intends to do more in the near future.
