Untitled (Black Balloons)

Oluseye is a Toronto-based artist from Lagos, Nigeria. His practice is rooted in the interplay of seemingly dichotomous ideas – Christianity and indigenous African beliefs; vulnerability and strength; spirituality and sexuality; socio-politics and pop-culture. Working in various mediums, he creates paintings, photography, performances, and installations that explore notions of identity, value, and existentialism with regards to Black masculinity.

In this site-specific installation, Oluseye melds history and fantasy in a symbolic testament to the contributions of Black people in building Western society. Engaging this idea, the installation collides the present, the past, and the ancestral as ever-present in the lives of Black diasporic peoples.