Sho’Time
My first ever solo exhibition, held at Eastern Michigan University’s student gallery. Attended by friends, peers and fans early to the game.
Sho’Time
Oct 18 - 29
2021
EMU Student Gallery
Forbidden fruit
Jorja Smith as Eve in the garden of Eden.
Your pledge, Our choice
For generations African kids (especially in the diaspora) have been brought up with mentality that academics are everything in this world, that we have to work twice as our peers and nothing less than the top positions was acceptable. This piece speaks on behalf of those in the diaspora that have been tribal marked, not with lines to signify our tribes but rather goals and ambitions that don't consider the choice and interests of the young. The old pledged but the young should get to choose our paths.
Mathu Lisa.
I follow a London based Tamil photographer named Mathu, who was making a series of self portraits exploring her cultural bankground and re connecting with her roots. One of these pictures struck me as a perfect unintended mimicry of the famous Mona Lisa pose and I simply had to paint her as such. It also helped that I had been in love with the structure of her face for a while and just needed an excuse to study it.
Man at work
Superimposed self portraits of Shonobi painting “hair day”
Mother’s Day
I had been improving my portrait process drastically at the time of this painting. Mother’s Day was around the corner and it just felt right to finally do my mother’s face justice in a portrait. Next to her is my aunt and this is the first painting I’ve ever done of a family member.
Hair day
At the start of this painting my intensions were to explore intimacy in it's many forms, from a mother getting her child ready for school, to eating lunch with a friend. How far can we push the definition of "intimacy". The first answer I came up was having a smoke sesh with some friends on an off day and by coincidence, it was also "hair day". A beautiful moment with vibes and clouds. I aim to revisit this theme at some point in the future.
Phantom barber
Recognize your reflection?
For the last three years I've been struggling and trying my best to cope with this problem of hairloss or in my case thinning of the hair! I'm only 20 and this shouldn't be happening to me. I wear a durag almost constantly because I simply don't feel comfortable with my hair out, especially when I don't have a haircut! I've managed a while and try my best to remain confident but everyday I look at myself in the mirror is a constant battle between frustration and nonchalance! Nothing I've tried seems to work and there's no way I'm investing any more money into this lil issue. This isn't meant to be a motivational post or a beg for pity, however I want you to know that if you're going through anything similar as a young man? You still look good bro don't stress.
.
My hair's actually grown a lot during quarantine and I'm not as bald I look in this (I hope) but it's just that it doesn't feel it same as my younger days (probably never will). .
Inverted self portrait
This one here has a fun interactive side to it. Go to your phone’s accessibility settings and turn your inverted colours on. Then go on your camera app and view the portrait for a surprise. Don’t try to take a picture, it’ll just revert back to normal when you change the settings back </3
Fruit still lifes
Oil on wood. Study of a lemon in a jar with a orange nearby. Grisaille technique.
Oil on paper. Study of two mangos from reference. Alla prima technique.
Lavender still life
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Torment
Pressure
Turmoil
Self portrait
Charcoal on paper.
Wrap up
Mixed media on paper
Rihanna
Gouache on paper study
Train of thoughts
An amalgamation of clones of Shonobi standing on a subway train
Linoprint wall
Copies of my first ever linoprints, made for class.
smoking man, skull still life, smoking woman.
Linoprint wall
Copies of Monk reflecting (by a pond).