Fiyin Oluokun Explores Diaspora Through Collage in Autograph Online Exhibition
Nigerian-Irish artist Fiyin Oluokun presents 'Race and Class in Contemporary Ireland', an online exhibition on Autograph's gallery platform. Through layered photomontages combining poetry, texture, and found imagery, Oluokun examines the Nigerian diaspora in County Kildare, focusing on everyday gestures, domestic rituals, and the intersection of race, class, and identity. In an interview with Suzette Bell-Roberts, Oluokun discusses using collage to suggest rather than prescribe, employing humour to address serious themes, and exploring how Nigerian Pentecostal practices and Yoruba culture shape diasporic life. The artist highlights small moments—like diluting off-brand washing-up liquid or avoiding 'speaking negative things into existence'—to humanize marginalized experiences. Oluokun imagines a future where Black people exist without performing or translating for external gazes. The exhibition is available to view on Autograph's online gallery.
Key facts
- Fiyin Oluokun is a Nigerian-Irish artist.
- The exhibition is titled 'Race and Class in Contemporary Ireland'.
- The exhibition is hosted on Autograph's online gallery.
- The work focuses on the Nigerian diaspora in County Kildare, Ireland.
- Oluokun uses collage to layer poetry, images, and texture.
- The artist incorporates humour to address serious themes.
- Nigerian Pentecostal church and Yoruba culture influence the work.
- Oluokun aims to imagine futures where Black life exists beyond explanation.
Entities
Artists
- Fiyin Oluokun
Institutions
- Autograph
Locations
- County Kildare
- Ireland