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Ojo Agi

@ojoagi

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by @ojoagi

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3 years ago

This essay was prompted by the events of the last few weeks. Specifically, since the killing of George Floyd, the world has rapidly gained interest in anti-oppression work. But I’ve still felt that there is an erasure of the Black women who pioneered, laboured, and operationalized much of this work. How can we move towards dismantling hegemonic systems of power (including white supremacy and patriarchy) and yet simultaneously reproduce them in the ways we protest? I hope my essay articulates some of these challenges and solutions in a way that’s clear and actionable. Let me know what you think 🙇🏾‍♀️✨
#citeblackwomen #epistemicinjustice #mirandafricker #ojoagi by @ojoagi

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6 years ago

Hello! It’s been a while since I’ve introduced myself here.

My name is Ojo Agi (she/her) and I’m an artist and researcher currently completing a PhD at Concordia University. I study Black representation and knowledge production, centering African artists whenever I can. I strongly believe in the power of the arts to communicate stories that help us imagine and build more equitable and loving societies. Basically: I read, I write, I teach, I curate, and I draw—all with the intention of making space for Black people to belong. You can check out my story highlights for an overview of some of my projects.

I mostly share my work here, but I’m also very enthusiastic about cooking, traveling, and taking pictures of the sky. I sew, knit, bake, braid my own hair, and have an unreasonable number of brown lipsticks. I can appear shy but I’m actually very open and talkative when I’m comfortable. DM me any time if you have questions, leave a comment if you like or learn something from me, and share my work with a friend. I appreciate the support and I’m always happy to connect! 😊🖤 by @ojoagi

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5 years ago

Happy Sunday 💞

This is my largest work to date. Drawing at this scale was a fun challenge. It pushed me to incorporate objects to help situate the figure and divide the composition into more manageable sections. I love how it turned out with the plant and the book.

It took me months to decide what book I wanted her to be reading. In the end, I chose the Bible since I've been reading it myself lately and the serenity of the image made me think of Psalm 23. I also love how often the Bible calls for rest, and wanted to be explicit about the importance of spiritual rest in a holistic self-care routine.

Drawing and colouring the leaves was one of the most challenging parts. I didn't plan for it when I started but I felt the left panel needed more points of interest. It took multiple days and left my arm feeling fatigued 😅

I often reference the charcoal sketch to study where I can be more fluid with my line work or where to place the shadows. I like how loose and free it is, and I'm still practicing retaining that movement and energy in the final drawing.

Prismacolor stopped selling individual coloured pencils recently, so if this ran out before I finished, I was just going to be out of luck. Thankfully it was enough to get the dress done.

Very satisfying to have finally finished this! 🥰🙏🏾

If you're interested in acquiring this piece, shoot me a DM! by @ojoagi

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a month ago

It's the final week to see this work in person at the inaugural exhibition for @blackrabbit.to 🖤✨

I drew this portrait during a time when I was discovering what it meant to have healthy boundaries. I have always been a person eager to help others (even at my own expense), so I didn't realize I was slowly draining my energy and inviting burnout and resentment into my life. Learning I had the right to say no and slow down to reflect on my own needs was revolutionary for me in my 20s. "Resonant Self" (2021) depicts a woman (my sister actually!) in a state of quiet reflection. This piece represents looking inward and sitting with yourself, and is a much needed reminder to treat yourself as someone you love.

I hope you get the chance to see the exhibition before it closes. Curious to know if this resonates with others 🫶🏾 by @ojoagi

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2 months ago

My work explores identity and belonging through figurative drawings on brown paper. The use of brown paper subverts the dominant art tradition of beginning with a white background, prompting viewers to question the white default in our culture and consider spaces in which Blackness is centered and celebrated. In "Becoming," the portraits visualize an understanding of identity in postcolonial studies, as articulated by cultural theorist Stuart Hall. He writes that “identity is not a set of fixed attributes, the unchanging essence of the inner self, but a constantly shifting process of positioning…In fact, identity is always a never-completed process of becoming—a process of shifting identifications, rather than a singular, complete, finished state of being.” By exposing the formative gestural lines that shape the figures, these portraits resist a fixed or stable form, presenting identity as a space of possibility, transitions, and continual becoming.

Honoured to have these pieces included in the 9th annual emancipation art exhibition with Halton Black History Awareness Society and to have received the first prize award! The exhibition is on view at Helson Gallery until September 13, and the works are available for purchase. Huge congratulations to all the wonderful artists and thank you to @hbhas.art @findinspirationwithfrancesca 🖤💫 by @ojoagi

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2 months ago

Coming soon 🤍🙏🏾✨

📸: @eneagi 🫶🏾✨ by @ojoagi

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3 months ago

Black women are no strangers to marginalisation or misrepresentation in the diaspora. For Ojo Agi, however, those experiences have become an inspiration for her art.

A self-taught artist hailing from a deeply creative family, art has always been an integral part of her life. Although she pursued a degree in health sciences, she dedicated her free time to drawing and honing her skills in portraiture. Eventually, she began sharing her work online and cultivated a supportive community around her art. 💚

In this edition of #WorkLife, @ojoagi reflects on the inspiration behind her visual vocabulary and how she has sharpened her understanding of art as both a personal language and a global conversation, creating pieces that continue to shape conversations around identity, visibility, and representation.

Step into her world of radical art at the link in bio.✨

📸: Aaron Clarke via @ojoagi

#MarieClaireNigeria #MCNWorkLife #OjoAgi by @ojoagi

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4 months ago

"A Couple Minutes" (2026)
Coloured pencil, marker, pastel and pen on paper

This drawing is part of my ongoing work to represent Black people in moments of rest, leisure, tenderness, and ease. I’m interested in creating counterimages to the ones we are all too familiar with: Black people dying, overworking, overachieving, surviving. I want to make images that affirm our right to softness, stillness, pleasure, and care. Having experienced burnout myself, this work is also a reminder I’m still learning to internalize: our bodies are not machines. Our worth is not measured by output. Rest is essential to our health, our well-being, and our freedom. It is our right, not a reward 🖤 by @ojoagi

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4 months ago

tidbits of work, rest, play… 🖤 by @ojoagi

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5 months ago

I build my drawings in layers. By the time you see the final image, there are probably 5-8 layers of markers and coloured pencils on it. It’s a time intensive process and sometimes I feel people don’t recognize the labour that does into drawing with fine point tools. So I’m breaking it down a bit more! Here’s layers 1-3 of a current work in progress. I’m loving the mauve 🥰 by @ojoagi

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6 months ago

reading week in tulum 🌞🏝🌊 by @ojoagi

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7 months ago