Imperial Sanctum by Damilare Kanyinsola

Nigerian artist, Damilare Jamiu Kanyinsola, uses acrylic on canvas to remind us that we all bloom. Each painting features a life-sized subject, staring at us with a wealth of life experiences behind their eyes. But the disparate lives and experiences that they have lived through, whether good or bad, has caused them to visibly bloom. What we can see of their bodies is adorned with vibrant and rich flowers. Bees surround them, showing how they continue to be nurtured as grow.

In each of these portraits, our subjects ooze both life and pride in themselves, their lived experiences and in their heritage, as proudly displayed in their ‘local’ African hairstyles - from the traditional threads to the classic large afro.

See some of the series below.