Festac is Burning (2022)
Acrylic on Canvas | 145cm x 145cm
This painting shows my recurring character surrounded by dark, heavy clouds—he looks panicked, almost like he’s sounding an alarm. There’s a comic-style speech bubble with the word “FIRE” and a flame symbol, like he’s warning others. In the background, hidden within the clouds, the words “Festac is burning” float quietly.
Festac is where I grew up. I spent most of my early life there. But when I painted this, I hadn’t been home in a while. I was living somewhere else, trying to figure things out—my purpose, my path, what I needed to do to feel fulfilled. And honestly, living in Festac never made that journey any easier. Not to get too political, but there was always a certain weight to the place. A heat, not just physical, but mental and emotional. That tension of trying to rise above your environment, while it feels like everything around you is on fire.
This painting captures that stress. That chaos. That feeling of being stuck in a place that feels like it’s burning, while you’re still trying to find your way out.