AS his landmark exhibition, Irin Ajo, nears its final week, rising socio-political cartoonist, Samuel Ojo, marks a major achievement as the first Nigerian to host a socio-political cartoon exhibition at the Cartoon Museum in London.
The show, which has drawn strong critical praise since its July opening, offers a bold commentary on the immigrant experience in the UK.
It is a collection of 12 cartoons by Ojo, which the Cartoon Museum describes as “a deeply personal and politically conscious cartoon exhibition that explores the immigrant experience in the UK from a Black, diasporic perspective.”
The artist’s collection is a mix of personal narratives and policy critique, and explores all aspects of the relocation journey – the good, the bad, and the funny. The goal is to “reframe the migrant not as a burden, but as a contributor, cultural bridge, and human being deserving of dignity.”
Speaking about what inspired this body of work, Ojo, a contributor to The Guardian (UK), explained that he became resolute about creating Irin Ajo after realising just how little the average citizen knew about the realities of being an immigrant. “From classmates to work colleagues, I noticed most did not know the challenges that come with being an immigrant or how expensive it is,” he said. “Whether it was the fact that I was paying almost double what home students pay or the fact that we pay additional healthcare fees and still can’t access much of what others can, I just kept finding myself in conversations where people did not really know. At the same time, the prevailing media narrative paints immigrants as leeches. A lot was just not adding up.”
Ìrìn Àjò kicked off on July 24 and has since gotten positive reviews. Renowned London art critic, Tabish Khan, named it one of “the Top 5 Museum Exhibitions to See in London this Autumn,” praising it as “a powerful display and a perspective we rarely see in the media.” EURWEB spotlighted it as underscoring “the valuable contributions and cultural connections migrants bring to British society.” According to the Cartoon Museum website, the exhibition will run until November 29, 2025.
