In this new body of
work, Opedun honours two communities connected by water but shaped by very
different histories, with equal reverence. His paintings place the floating
settlement of Makoko in Lagos, alongside some of Venice’s most
recognisable landmarks, including Santa Maria Della Salute and Palazzo
Cavalli-Franchetti. The result is a series of layered compositions where scenes
from Nigeria and Italy occupy the same canvas.
Working in oil, the artist uses light, texture and architectural
forms to blur the boundaries between the two locations. Rather than simply
comparing them, the works invite viewers to reflect on how history, culture and
place influence the way communities are perceived and remembered.
At the centre of The Witness is a timely
question: why is one floating community celebrated as a global cultural
treasure while another continues to struggle for recognition and preservation?
Through these paintings, Opedun encourages viewers to reconsider ideas of
heritage, identity and value.
By matching the gritty,
lived invention of Makoko with the historical monument beauty of Venice, The
Witness pushes a powerful central question to the forefront: Why
is one floating community celebrated as a protected global cultural treasure,
while the other is treated as a problem to be solved?
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