Damola was out on his evening stroll on a street in Lagos Island. Suddenly, the streetlights went off, and his neighbourhood was shrouded in darkness. This pivotal moment made him aware of how much darkness, his description of hardship and poverty, existed in his country. Afterward, he thought about how he could become a beacon of hope in this dark era. His musings and artistic prowess led to the creation of Light, a composition of oil paintings and mixed media art pieces.
Damola Adepoju, a full-studio artist, has twenty-seven years of artistic experience. Based in Lagos, Nigeria, his signature technique combines soft gold, newspaper prints, and mixed media, with an overarching grey theme. He holds a degree from Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASU), a fellowship award from the Society of Nigerian Artists, and international recognition from the United States Senate and Congress, among other awards. He has curated five art exhibitions and participated in over one hundred and sixty art shows. Light, his third solo exhibition, was curated to commemorate his 50th birthday by Idowu Bankole.
Idowu began her curatorial journey under the tutelage of Odun Orimolade in 2020. Her curatorial trajectory involves the establishment of Yaba Art Museum at the Yaba College of Technology, and the curation of Living Blue, Priceless Odyssey, Dipped in Chocolate, and Generations7 art exhibitions. Light is her latest curation. Idowu Oluwakemi Bankole currently oversees exhibitions and artist relations at Mydrim Gallery. Mydrim Gallery, one of Lagos’ oldest galleries, was established by Sinmidele Adesanya in 1992 to support Nigerian artists and art.
I spoke to Damola Adepoju about his recent solo exhibition, Light, and curator Idowu Bankole about her role in its facilitation.
Rejoice Anodo (RA): What inspired the curation of Light?
Idowu Bankole (IB): Damola Adepoju has been a friend of the gallery for years, a consistent one at that. He reached out to the gallery two years ago regarding Light. He was specific with the month, and the gallery confirmed the availability of space. Mydrim Gallery has been collecting Damola Adepoju’s works for years. We are conversant with his medium, and we love his use of grey scheme.
Rejoice Anodo (RA): What is the connecting theme for the displayed pieces?
Idowu Bankole (IB): The theme connecting all the works on display, aside from the title of the exhibition, is the depiction of Lagos sceneries. Damola has mastered the presentation of Lagos landscapes.
Rejoice Anodo (RA): What art media do you use for your pieces?
Damola Adepoju (DA): I use mixed media; a fusion of newspaper prints over black and white acrylic, with touches of soft gold. Sometimes, I use acrylic on canvas in an impasto technique to convey my market scenes or other themes.
Rejoice Anodo (RA): What inspired you to title your exhibition Light?
Damola Adepoju (DA): This exhibition is a profound journey. It is a collection of works that chart my artistic trajectory from 2015 to the present day. As I celebrate my 50th birthday, this show at Mydrim Gallery represents a fulfilled dream—a culmination of years of dedication, growth, and a deeply personal artistic evolution. The 30 paintings and mixed-media works on display have been carefully selected to reflect this progression, serving as a testament to the journey so far. The central thesis of this body of work, and indeed the inspiration for the entire exhibition, came from a singular, transformative moment on the streets of Isale Eko.
Late one evening, during my routine painting study, the city’s vibrant lights suddenly vanished, plunging the streets into complete darkness. Disoriented and unable to find my way, a sense of despair began to set in. But in that moment of profound darkness, a single light appeared. A person had taken the responsibility to illuminate their immediate surroundings, and that solitary beam of light became a beacon of hope for me, a guiding force that showed me the way back.
This experience gave birth to the painting Light: A Beacon from Isale Eko, which became the focal point and message of this exhibition. The work is a meditation on the transformative power of hope and the individual’s capacity to illuminate their environment. My artistic process for this piece involved a study in atmospheric contrast, masterfully balancing a somber, grey-toned scene with a radiant, isolated source of light.
The streets, momentarily plunged into darkness, are rendered with a textured, monochromatic depth, while the buildings are constructed with a mixed-media collage of newsprint. This integration of architectural design with a textual, fragmented medium speaks to the myriad of stories woven into the very fabric of Isale Eko.
The core message of this exhibition is that we can all be that light. The paintings collectively serve as a visual testament to the belief that the hope of a brighter future is not a passive waiting but an active, conscious effort. My work seeks to inspire viewers to become “light bearers” in their own right, believing that if we all embrace this responsibility, we can collectively light up the world and find a way forward, even in the darkest of times.
Rejoice Anodo (RA): What would you like viewers to feel?
Damola Adepoju (DA): As the theme of the exhibition is also Light, the mood of the exhibited pieces is calm. I used dark schemes with light to invite the viewers in, to create a conversation, as if they were inside the painting. These moments of nostalgia are intended to spark memories of events and experiences in the viewers as light bearers.
Idowu Bankole (IB): Every piece on display is more than just an image; it is a narrative frozen in time, a whisper of memory, culture, and emotion. We invite the audience not merely to observe, but to immerse themselves in the soul of each work. Let them wander through the soft, melancholic hues of grey-toned landscapes, where warmth glows subtly beneath the surface like embers in ash, quiet, yet deeply alive. In contrast, the vibrant market scenes burst forth with colour and energy, echoing the rhythm of daily life. These compositions are alive with motion and melody.
Light was on display from October 5 – 18, 2025 at Mydrim Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos.
