Toyin Ojih Odutola’s Monumental Art Exhibition Opens in New York
New York, May 6 – July 18, 2025 – Nigerian-American artist Toyin Ojih Odutola has launched her highly anticipated solo exhibition, Ilé Oriaku, at the Jack Shainman Gallery in New York City. The show, which opened with a reception on May 6, features a sweeping collection of multimedia drawings and works on paper that explore themes of identity, ancestry, grief, and cultural memory.
Exhibition Highlights
Ilé Oriaku centers on an imaginary Mbari house—a sacred Igbo cultural space traditionally built to honor deities and community members. Ojih Odutola’s Mbari pays tribute to her late grandmother and uncle, blending Yoruba and Igbo heritage. The exhibition’s title means “House of Oriaku,” with ‘Ilé’ meaning home in Yoruba and ‘Oriaku’ being her grandmother’s Igbo name.
The works unfold episodic narratives set within this spiritual and cultural sanctuary, capturing figures poised in moments of transition—before or after exchanges—evoking themes of personal and collective history. The drawings are monumental in scale, some towering over six feet, and showcase Ojih Odutola’s signature technique of layering ballpoint pen, charcoal, pastel, and graphite to create richly textured, painterly portraits.
Artistic Themes and Personal Reflections
Ojih Odutola’s exhibition is deeply personal, reflecting on grief following the recent passing of her grandmother, Josephine Oriaku Ojih. The show also honors the resilience of Igbo women, including historical figures like those involved in the 1929 Aba Women’s Rebellion against colonial taxation.
In works such as Nanyerwa (Women’s), she portrays an elder woman as a powerful, almost superheroic figure, while other pieces blend humor and surrealism, celebrating cultural joy and spiritual presence. The exhibition’s atmosphere balances solemnity with moments of camp and playfulness, embodying the complexities of memory and identity.
Critical Acclaim
The New York Times praised Ojih Odutola’s Ilé Oriaku as her most personal and universal work to date, highlighting her exceptional technical skill and ability to evoke ancestral spirits. Critics noted the exhibition’s exploration of Nigerian culture’s understanding of ancestors as ever-present companions, adding a profound spiritual dimension to the show.
About Toyin Ojih Odutola
Born in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, and raised in Alabama, USA, Toyin Ojih Odutola is internationally celebrated for her multimedia drawings that challenge traditional portraiture and explore the fluidity of identity. Her work has been exhibited at prestigious venues including the Nigerian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (2024), Kunsthalle Basel, SFMOMA, and the Whitney Museum.
