Welcome to Where Our Roots Connect at the Edge Gallery!
Rooted by Efemena Ogboru
@efeskeptar
“Rooted is about where we come from and how that shapes who we become. In this series, I use bold acrylic colours and patterned blocks inspired by West African fabrics and symbols to reflect culture, memory, and identity. The strong use of Pan-African colour (red, green, yellow, and black) runs throughout the work, representing ancestry, land, resilience, and pride.
The figure with natural hair and coral-red beads stands as a symbol of strength and connection to heritage. The patchwork backgrounds feel like pieces of history stitched together like tradition, growth, and lived experience layered into one story.
For me, being rooted doesn’t mean being stuck. It means being grounded enough to grow anywhere.”
Efe Ogboru is a Nigerian visual artist based in Canada. She works with acrylic, oil, and mixed media, creating West African modern contemporary pieces that blend Ankara patterns, beads, and symbolic motifs. Her work explores emotion, identity, and cultural pride, celebrating the beauty and depth of the Black experience across the diaspora.
Come see this work at the Edge Gallery before the exhibition closes, open until Saturday 1-5pm, and Sunday or Monday by appointment. These works are available for acquisition. Exhibition funded by
@mbartscouncil
#blackartist #acrylicpainting #emergingartist #newart #painting
