Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, CA, United States
26 Oct 2016 - 02 Apr 2017
Toyin Ojih Odutola, Lazy Sunday, 2016. charcoal, pastel, and pencil on paper. 61 x 42 inches. 65 5/8 x 47 3/4 x 2 1/4 inches (framed). signed, titled, and dated on verso. ©Toyin Ojih Odutola.
A Matter of Fact presents a new body of work from Toyin Ojih Odutola. With vibrant pastel and charcoal drawings developed out of her unique pen ink and pencil style, Ojih Odutola presents a meditation on the expression and constructs of wealth.
From a portrait of a mother and daughter enjoying an equestrian afternoon to the commanding presentation of The Marchioness elegantly poised presiding within a mansion, these drawings allow one to recognize wealth, as it exists beyond fact or questioning.
Often with apathetic expressions, the drawings render various characters from the UmuEze Amara Clan, a fictionalized aristocratic family. The creation of space becomes an act of portraiture as the detailed articulation of the rich textiles and elegant furniture perform a certain kind of resolute wealth. However, in this portrayal, Ojih Odutola constructs space for the audience to reevaluate their perceptions and expectations of this wealth as an act of intentional creation.
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