One of the most defining elements of my work is colour. I am drawn to fresh, raw tones—applied boldly, intentionally, and without fear. Colour, for me, is not something to be controlled or restricted; it is something to be embraced fully. I use it as if I own it, allowing it to dominate the surface and guide the direction of each composition. Often, I find it difficult to work with limited hues because colour has a way of taking over the canvas, sometimes even overshadowing the subject itself. Yet this dominance feels natural. Colour is not secondary in my practice—it is the voice, the energy, and the emotional heartbeat of the work.
I am constantly exploring new ways to expand how colour behaves within my paintings. I push its interaction with texture, pattern, and form, allowing it to move freely and intuitively. In many cases, the subject becomes a vessel rather than a focal point—a space through which colour can express sensation, mood, and memory. This approach allows my work to feel alive, expressive, and unapologetically bold.
Cultural Sensation is the title of this mixed media collection. In creating these works, I dedicated time to preparing the backgrounds with lace fabrics, carefully layering them to build depth, aesthetic richness, and visual drama. The lace introduces a tactile quality to the surface, creating subtle relief and complexity beneath the paint. Over this textured foundation, I applied richly saturated colours to form patterns that dance across the canvas. The combination of fabric, acrylic, and colour creates a surface that is both visually engaging and emotionally charged.
These paintings—Cultural Sensation 5 and Cultural Sensation 6—are the fifth and sixth works in the series. Together, they represent my response to my African world: the richness I encounter daily and the cultural vibrancy that surrounds me. The colours and patterns are infused with the spirit of my society—the warmth of the food, the boldness of fashion, the depth of traditions, and the rhythm of music and language. These elements are not depicted literally but are embedded emotionally within the work, translated into visual sensation.
The dimensions of the paintings—54 by 54 inches (Cultural Sensation 5) and 52 by 52 inches (Cultural Sensation 6)—allow the viewer to be fully immersed in their presence. Cultural Sensation is exactly what the title suggests: a feeling, an atmosphere, a lived experience. Through this body of work, I invite viewers to engage not just with what they see, but with what they feel—a layered, colourful reflection of culture, identity, and contemporary expression.
