A MATTER OF FACT

A Matter of Fact, which accompanied an exhibition at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD), showcases the work of Nigerian-born New York artist Toyin Ojih Odutola (b. 1985). Employing diverse mediums to emphasize the striated terrain of an image and its formulaic representations, Ojih Odutola carefully stages mesmerizing portraits of the fictional UmuEze Amara Clan in opulence. Utilizing conceptual portraiture, the purview of the affluent, the artist invites us to consider the social construct of class within the intersection of race, identity, sexuality, and gender. In her vibrant depictions of imagined Nigerian aristocracy, rendered in charcoals, pastels, and pencil, Ojih Odutola explores scale, patterns, and color to present characters who distinctly occupy their privileged, lavish space.