A Brief Excursion

• Thu, Aug 12, 2021 - Fri, Aug 27, 2021  

Ire Asojo | Artist Statement:

My art acts as time capsules for my emotions—small documentations of temporary yet recurring feelings—my doubts, worries, exhaustions, pride. These small moments of time that capture specific ideas or feelings are important because it allows me to gain perspective. Where do I stand in the world? How does my femaleness, blackness, Nigerian background affect my identity and my perception? Why do I feel othered? How can I grow, and where am I going? Art permits a way for me to answer these questions I continually ask myself. Instead of my thoughts being limited to the confines of my mind, I can allow them to escape into a physical representation which often gives myself clarity.  

Art allows me to create my own path, define my own self, express my own unfiltered emotions. Through my work, I pay homage to my feelings of otherness, internal struggles, and insecurities with how I view myself. I work with where I stand through race, identity, culture—where one ends and the other begins and perhaps where they overlap. I reflect on ideas of growth and feelings of stagnation. Through art, I explore navigating space and how that navigation changes due to perception. 

My work is about a journey. It is about navigating the world around me and how this navigation shapes my perception and identity. My work holds the essence of who I am as a person and reflecting on my pieces leads me to further understand myself. That is why I create. Because I want to appreciate my evolving feelings, struggles, self-identity, accomplishments of my own journey and art grants me the important space to do so. Through this show, A Brief Excursion, I reflect on the work I made these past four years as a highschooler. And I celebrate the next step in my artistic journey.

Ultimately, my work is a self-reflection of my identity—reflecting my Nigerian culture, my family, and my personal experiences. Within my work, duplicates symbolize transformation, the different possibilities of self, and growth by showing a direct comparison between two selves while hands symbolize change and movement. Through my work, I explore masking oneself, one’s identity, or one’s feelings. I also explore the importance of a face because our faces allow for a degree of connection with others. Faces grant ways to relate emotions, but they also act as receptors for societal projection and prejudices. The face can be a burden, but it can also be integral to one’s identity. I question the limit faces have with accurate perception and whether they present an accurate identity or not, and I explore what happens to the connection when the face is obscured, unclear, or duplicated. I ponder about the realness of self and how when dealing with different versions whether either is real or a mask. 

To view more work, follow her @undirearts. 

All exhibitions are free and open to the public Monday - Saturday 9 AM - 5 PM.