Light Painting:

When I started putting this exhibition together, as a photographer, I kept coming back to one simple idea: light is something we all see every day, but we don’t always stop to notice what it can do. Light Painting was born from that curiosity: what happens when artists don’t just use light to see, but actually use it to create?

Working with Iramofu Oseh, Jeffrey Igboasia, Setonji A. Akran, Ireti Oyewole, and Mercy Odukogbe has been a very intentional process. Each of them approaches light differently, but they all share a willingness to experiment. They bend it, move it, shape it, and in doing so, they turn something as ordinary as light into something emotional, expressive, and sometimes even surprising.

What I find most interesting about these works is how they capture moments that don’t usually stay still. Light moves fast - it disappears as quickly as it appears. But in these pieces, that movement is held in place. You’ll see lines, trails, and glows that feel alive, almost like the artwork is still in motion even while you’re standing in front of it.

Some of the works feel very human, like outlines of people or gestures you can almost recognize. Others take everyday objects and make them look completely different, almost magical. But across everything, there’s this quiet conversation between what is visible and what is not. Light reveals, but it also hides. It shows you something, but never everything.

As a curator, I didn’t want this to feel distant or overly technical. This is why I describe it as an expository exhibition. It’s meant to open things up, not close them off. I want people to walk in and feel like they can connect with the works in their own way, without needing special knowledge or explanations.

For me, this exhibition is also about the artists themselves, how they are pushing boundaries and trying new things within the art space. It’s about growth, exploration, and trusting the process, even when it feels uncertain.

At the end of the day, Light Painting is my personal invitation for you to take your time, look closely, and just experience it. Let the light guide you, surprise you, and maybe even make you see something differently than you did before.

- Kikelomo Solomon-Ayeni