The Story

The First Time I Prayed captures the precise moment when faith isn’t taught — it’s felt. The child’s charcoal-drawn face gazes skyward, with wonder and ache meeting in the eyes. He’s not crying. He’s not speaking. He’s reaching.

The ochre-orange background radiates warmth, like sunlight in a Lagos morning or the aura of spiritual protection passed down from ancestors. The textured lines that surround his shoulders evoke presence — like ancestors whispering behind him.

The figure wears only suggestion of cloth — an echo of Yoruba garments, suggesting this child is not nameless. He’s ours. He’s us.

Born from Macanjy’s early years growing up in Mile 2 and Egbeda, this piece holds space for that first sacred connection: when a boy who had no words for God still knew where to look.

Part of Silent Narrative: Echoes of the Unseen, this piece is not just a portrait — it’s a spiritual relic.

Collections: SILENT NARRATIVE: ehoes of the unseen

Subject Matter: Spirituality, Boyhood, Inner Voice, First Faith, African Identity, Silence and Hope

Current Location: Avant Garde Gallery Toronto

Credits

Anjola Adeniji