The Story

They called him a loser.
Dirty.
Slow.
Dyslexic. (but nobody knew)

Not fit. Not normal. Not enough.

Exiled is the face of a child society threw away — not because he failed, but because he refused to conform. Set against a backdrop of color that never welcomed him, the figure carries the marks of judgment on his skin, but his eyes tell another story: one of awareness, resistance, and quiet fire.

This is not a portrait of pity.
It’s a portrait of survival.

Born in the streets of Lagos, this figure — like the artist — learned to stand in the shadows without losing his light.

Collections: SILENT NARRATIVE: ehoes of the unseen

Subject Matter: Black Identity, Yoruba Spirituality, Beauty and Pain, Power, Legacy, Queer Strength, Cultural Reclamation

Current Location: Avant Garde Gallery Toronto

Credits

Anjola Adeniji