Delicate things and A place called there offers a tender yet resolute meditation on growth, memory, and the fragile pause before expansion takes form. The exhibition brings together two distinct practices that, through the vulnerability of their materials, the intimacy of their narratives, and the tenderness of their imagery, reveal the universality of growth—reminding us that we are never alone in our uncertainties.
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Adulphina Imuede

At the center of Adulphina Imuede’s practice is the body, particularly the head, as it exists within African cosmologies. Shaped by her culture and other African cultures, the head is believed to carry personal destiny, identity, and becoming—a philosophy Imuede embraces in her work through portraiture and figuration. I emphasize the heads of my figures to honor this philosophy and draw attention to what it signifies.

Beyond symbolism, her work is a space of experimentation with form and feelings. She is interested in exploring the delicateness of femininity, softness, and vulnerability as forms of strength, rather than weaknesses, especially in African societies. This draws her to the tension between inner life and outer structure, between what is seen and what is felt and how these two layers may conflict, harmonise, or interact.

Her practice also engages themes of lineage, rites of passage, familial bonds, cultural memory, identity, and representation. The works are personal and reflective, inspired by memory and her search to understand where she comes from and who she is becoming.

Working with watercolour, acrylic, ink, oil, gouache, and pastels on both canvas and paper, she explores texture, shifting between control and spontaneity, remaining curious and open to new possibilities.

This body of work also marks a return to paper as a simple surface and as a transformed material, layered and tactile; paper becomes structural and enduring. She creates sculptural masks with golden blessings cascading down their faces, reflecting ongoing themes of destiny and the head as a symbol of personal becoming. What appears delicate is revealed as fortified, able to hold the weight of meaning and memory.

Ashiata Shaibu-Salami

Ashiata Shaibu-Salami’s paintings command attention at first glance, and then, as you linger on her masterful use of rich, intense colors, layered textures, striking figures, and immersive scenery, you are transported into—there. Deeply personal, these works emerged from Shaibu-Salami’s transition out of childhood into a life shaped entirely by her own intentions—a space that allows her to rest, reflect, and create. Born from a need to tell stories, each piece becomes a way of laying them down and moving forward.

Her practice begins with her own experiences as a woman—her internal conflicts and the lives of women around her. She reflects on these struggles while drawing connections to ancient mythologies. Like the women of Greek and Egyptian stories, her figures embody themes that continue to shape us today: pain, power, vulnerability, isolation, and resilience. By placing them in surreal, dreamlike spaces, she offers them freedom beyond struggle—a world without limits, where healing and transformation become possible.

Many of these surreal elements are drawn from nature, which became for her a site of rest, healing, and renewal. Through nature she found a deeper connection to God, making spirituality an essential thread in her practice.

Working with acrylic and paper collage, she layers colors and textures to express emotions that are difficult to articulate. Her paintings draw from both personal experiences and those of people close to her. For me, painting is a way to connect the conscious and unconscious—a space where people can see parts of themselves and feel understood. I don’t aim to provide answers but to create moments of reflection, reminders that even in our most uncertain times, we are not alone.

Though distinct in form, the practices of Imuede and Shaibu-Salami converge in a space of shared humanity. Their works meet in the delicate pause between what has been carried and what is yet to come. Both artists embody becoming, introspection, femininity, and vulnerability—qualities that remind us that growth is rarely sudden but most often found in the quiet spaces of waiting, listening, and unfolding.

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