The artist vs. The art
It's been a while since I've posted or done a reel or done anything generally related to social media.
I saw this template and I thought it was a cute format for sharing my art.
Recently been expanding my practice and brainstorming ideas for a few exhibitions. I can't believe the year has almost run out. Makes it feel like there's never enough time.
#art #artist #artvsartist #painting #expressionism #impressionism #abstractart #light #reels #igreels #jaythefriendlygiant
Sometimes life asks us to go in circles, chasing our own shadow until we can learn to accept ourselves. These cycles will put pressure on us and even break us but they don't take away from the beauty of life. With time, our impatience becomes a longing for even more time to waste, and even more shadows to chase. So don't be afraid of waiting. It is only a circle. It is only time.
"A Hundred Thousand Years and A Single Hour" closes on the 5th of April, 2025. A special thanks to everybody who turned up to support me. And an even more special thanks to @wunikamukangallery for the opportunity to show my art to the people✨.
Artwork:
Untitled
Clay, and acrylic paint
2024
Patience.
Looking back to studio footage from 2023/2024. Also the same year I had sprinkles in my hair and I was also doing my youth service. I was still at the start of my journey with ceramics.
The first video shows me hand painting a ceramic pot which I eventually exhibited with @kutanigeria at the end of my residency with them. I love the calming and grounding effects of this process. For me, the meditative power of art is the main reason I haven't stopped creating. As you can see, the pot really fell apart lol. But I chose to really lean into my imperfection here. I am still a student after all. Special thanks to Mr. @atoarinze for teaching me everything I know about clay and helping with my firing.
The third and fourth video are my faves. They really are a testament to my patience and to my meditative spirit. If it forces me to rush I don't want it. I don't enjoy being rushed and I really dont enjoy any false sense of urgency. Unless it's urgent but then I will not be happy about that. So if you've ever met me and I had a stank attitude I was probably being rushed. But I think when people ask me how I make the etchings on the surface of my works and I tell them I do each dot by hand they're always surprised. Trust me I'm surprised too. I thought I'd have discovered a faster way to do it by now but honestly that would kind of ruin the process for me. I also noticed how similar the process looks to handpoke tattooing and I see how these two parts of my artistic practice emerged in my life. Quite a revelation, actually. Sadly, this particular piece did not survive because it was wobbly and I did not create the right base for it.
The final video is just me posing with some boneware waiting for the kiln. I talk a bit about my relationship with them but not in that much detail.
If you'd like to learn more about me and my art I suggest you find me on youtube. Same handle as here. There's actually a link in my bio. What a pleasant convenience!
Much love, J 💖
💰 Heb jij je aanvraag al ingediend voor Geld voor je…?
Je hebt tot en met aanstaande maandag (15 september 2025) om financiële
ondersteuning aan te vragen voor jouw creatieve plannen.
👉 Voor meer info en aanvragen, ga naar de link in bio van @cultuurschakel .
Velen gingen je voor, waaronder kunstenares @carmensaez_art . Zij vroeg financiële
ondersteuning aan bij CultuurSchakel, voor een project over dekolonisatie in kunst. Met
deze financiële steun organiseerde zij in maart en april schilderworkshops en
kunstexposities bij @pandorastudio.nl , speciaal voor kunstliefhebbers en
amateurkunstenaars. Dit deed zij in samenwerking met opkomende kunstenaars,
waaronder Jay Olaniyan (@jaythefriendlygiant ).
Jay over haar kunstinstallatie: “Rooted in my Nigerian identity, I created an installation
that played with surrealist and metaphysical aspects of the seen and unseen world of
nature. I produced an installation consisting of hand-painted tapestries that hung across
the space using jute rope. This opportunity allowed me to challenge the walls and
spaces of the white cube.”
Jay over haar schilderworkshop: “The workshop focused on the theme of spirituality and
the invisible narratives of the participants. The participants all unlocked their intuitive
minds, creating pieces that also challenged and, in some ways, decolonized their
artistic practice.”
Dit kunstproject is een goed voorbeeld van een co-creatie. Jay: “After letting the
paintings dry, we hung up the tapestries of colour and patterns that the group had
created as part of my installation. Through this process, we realized the installation
collectively and explored our individual and shared values and inspirations.”
👉 Geïnspireerd? Vraag nu financiële ondersteuning aan voor jouw kunstproject. Voor meer
info en aanvragen, ga naar de link in bio van @cultuurschakel .
Reflections on the S+T+ARTS Prize Africa ‘25 award for distinction for our “Sands of Time: Walls We Can Walk Through” at the Ars Electronica 2025. This is a celebration of Art, Science and Society, a core part of our ethos we are proud of. Thanks to the @startseu and @arselectronica team, it was a remarkable honor to be recognized for our contributions.
We are pleased to invite you to a collaborative discussion to round of the exhibition of Sands of Time in Lagos.
The shape of the taking, and development, which Ala Praxis evokes is peculiar to the people of Tanzania and staging the exhibition here in another vibrant coastal port: Lagos, Nigeria, the draws an avenue to sit and converse on the similarities and differences.
The event presents alongside Ala Praxis, other artists and thinkers who produce work about extraction, care and development towards clearer eyes to our realities here in Lagos.
The night is themed Cities as Bodies, and we are looking forward to the conversation with you.
Sunday, 20th July 2025
4pm -6pm
📍13 Elsie Femi Pearse Street
Victoria Island, Lagos
“the project is a powerful metaphor for unchecked extraction, over consumption, and tensions that exist between infrastructural development and ecological sustainability in coastal cities. through its exploration of urban sensibilities and human-centered design, Ala Praxis offers a reflective lens on the future of our coastal cities.”
-Sarafadeen Bello
Curated by @chinyere.obieze
Showing till July 20 , 2025
12pm - 6pm Daily 📍13 Elsie Femi Pearse St, Victoria Island, Lagos
