Samuel Olowomeye: Adé’s Nightmare, 2017

The wide – eyed child is an expression of disbelief combined with fear at the realisation of something unimaginable. The drawing is inspired by a child who has heard from people – both old and young – and has also read from books that masquerades are “ará òrun” (messengers from the world beyond) and that they cannot be seen, only to accidentally stumble upon one masquerade pulling off his costume. He is human and this particular human is his uncle who has also told him that masquerades are from the world beyond. This is an “is my uncle from the world beyond?” kind of moment.