Lawrie Shabibi Gallery in Dubai is delighted to present I’ve Got to Know You Now We May Never Meet Again, the latest exhibition by Nigerian artist Sola Olulode, who currently lives and works in South London. This showcase delves into the power of nature while reimagining mythological themes and personal memories. The exhibition will open on 4 February 2025 and will end on 9 April 2025.
Sola Olulode’s work explores the profound connections between femininity and nature. Her use of iridescent shades—yellow, blue, azure, and red—creates mesmerizing, interconnected colour motifs. The sea, with its bright and reflective qualities, takes centre stage in her reconstruction of humanity’s ancient relationship with nature. In some of her works, Olulode references the mythological water spirit of the Yoruba region—a maternal figure who safeguards all children. This spirit, associated with water and feminine mysteries, is beautifully brought to life in the artist’s depictions. The broad spectrum of colours—the rich hues of the sea and the vibrant oranges and yellows of the sky—blend, evoking a sense of mythological spirituality that draws us back into our memories. The mythological figure of Yemaya, intertwined with the imagery of water, symbolises an act of liberation.
Olulode drew inspiration for this series from personal photographs taken during her travels to the Caribbean Sea, Mallorca, and Senegal. Her luminous paintings evoke moments of intimacy, capturing glimpses of friends, lovers, and herself. As the artist has shared, colour is an integral part of her creative expression. In an interview with She Curates magazine, Sola Olulode reflected: “For me, colour is the best way to translate emotion in art. For me yellow became very symbolic of the joy and intensity of the feelings of falling in love. The blue actually started off as just an aesthetic choice, I just really like the way dark blue and rich blue grounds complemented the black and brown skin tones of the figures in my works”.
She reflects on the style she developed during her university years, which centred around dyeing techniques. Influenced by Adire, a Yoruba textile, she incorporates batik and resistance techniques, which are not only used to create textured backgrounds for her canvases but also to outline figures and add intricate patterns. But she never stopped in one technique style. As she said in one of the interviews to “The Other Art Girl”: “I can never pick a painting style, so each work is different. I’m always experimenting within the paintings… Sometimes I paint things with oil paint and I get really into the realism of it all and wanting to make it look fluid, or other times I just want to be more expressive”.
In the paintings presented at the exhibition, her mastery of dyeing techniques captures the ocean’s waves, the interplay of light on the surface, and the magical reflection of a sunset. And finally, her works are enigmatic, evoking a sense of movement and being present in the moment—leaving our imagination utterly captivated.
About the artist
Sola Olulode (b. 1974) is an artist based in South London. She earned a BA in Fine Art Painting from the University of Brighton and has held personal showcases in her hometown of London as well as in New York. Additionally, she has participated in numerous international group exhibitions. Her recent exhibitions include Islands of the Blessed at Berston Bhattacharjee Gallery in London, Burning Like That Star That Showed Us Our Love at Ed Cross Fine Art, and the group exhibition Digital Art School Hospital Rooms at Hauser & Wirth London.
The artist’s style blends figuration and abstraction, incorporating a variety of techniques such as batik and assemblage. Her research into Yoruba art forms from Southwestern Nigeria, particularly the Adire, has been a key source of inspiration. The themes in her work often explore womanhood, love, and creativity.
To learn more about I’ve Got to Know You Now We May Never Meet Again, please go to the exhibition’s official web page.
You might also be interested in visiting Between the Tides: A Gulf Quinquennial.
