The embodiment of a negro by VILLAGER

The embodiment of a negro by VILLAGER, 2023, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 20 inches

This painting is about experiencing overt racism-simultaneously feeling invisible and heightened in spaces that regard my presence and body as innately violent and threatening simply because of the color of my skin. It’s the feeling of presence- that is the best I could come up with without having to write an autobiography. 

VILLAGER (b.1999 in Lagos, Nigeria; based in Baltimore, MD), is a multi-disciplinary artist, whose work is centered around investigating humanity as a product of culture and social conditions through and Afro-diasporic lens. Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, and only immigrating to the United States in 2013. My work incorporates visual and material elements from my personal experiences in both cultural landscapes of Nigeria and the US. Villager endeavors to scrutinize, deconstruct, and redefine the existential and paradoxical question of what it means to be a “contemporary african.” I am formally trained as a Water Microbiologist and Environmental Researcher, receiving a B.S. in Environmental Science with a concentration in Chemistry and a minor in Chemistry from Towson University in 2020. My practice began in January 2022 during my second semester of graduate studies at UMBC studying Marine Estuary Environmental Science. During this time, I was lost in myself, mentally fatigued, and extremely drained- It felt like I was living in the shell of my former self. I understood that I needed an outlet to communicate my evolving understanding of my humanity so on January 19th of that year, I sat down for 6 hours and painted my first ever painting titled “caged vessel”, encouraging myself to engage in self-exploration and self-expression along the way. 8 months later, I chose to step away from my Master’s program at UMBC to seek greater purpose through and for my work, establish a long-lasting studio practice, and develop a universal dialogue through my work.