Funlola Oyewo Makes Artistic Debut with ‘Owambe Series,’ Exploring Stillness in Celebration

Funmi Ogundare

A Lagos-based visual artist, Funlola Oyewo, Friday, made her formal debut into Nigeria’s art scene with ‘Owambe Series: Wedding Guests’, a solo exhibition that reimagines the country’s famed celebratory culture through an unexpected lens; stillness.

Set against the exuberance that defines owambe parties, Oyewo’s works capture wedding guests in quiet, contemplative moments, drawing attention to posture, presence and unspoken narratives often lost amid music, dance and spectacle.Speaking with THISDAY at the exhibition held at the Terra Kulture, Lagos, she explained that the exhibition reframes celebration as cultural theatre, where even silence performs.

“Owambe is full of energy, the music, the movement, the excess,” Oyewo said. “But in the middle of it all, stillness catches my attention because it feels rare. Against such a lively setting, posture speaks and presence carries weight.”For Oyewo, art is less a learned craft than an innate language. Her instinct for drawing surfaced early, earning recognition throughout her formative years.

Although she initially studied Architecture at the Academy of Art in San Francisco, and later obtained a degree in Communications and a Master’s in Project Management, she noted that she built a professional career spanning Marketing, Branding and the travel industry, all while maintaining a deep pull toward creative expression.

Owambe Series: Wedding Guests , the artist stated, marks a return to that original artistic calling. adding that the works are executed primarily in oil on canvas with touches of mixed media and intentionally grounded in classic materials.Oyewo said the choice was deliberate, ensuring that nothing distracts from the storytelling. From colour palettes to custom frames and spatial arrangement, every element was carefully curated to immerse viewers in the owambe experience.

“Together, the works tell an owambe story,” she explained. “One we are not just watching but stepping into. We are the guests.”Rather than centring on the bride and groom, Oyewo turns her focus to wedding guests made up of the observers, commentators and style bearers who collectively animate Nigerian celebrations.

She stated that she was Inspired by people she has encountered at weddings, and her subjects feel familiar and intimate.“The guests bring the owambe ambience to life,” she said. “Besides, the couples are usually in their own world.”The artist described the venue as a natural fit given its influence in Nigeria’s cultural and artistic landscape, particularly in immersive storytelling.

Curated by Saheedat Lawal, the exhibition also aligns with Terra Kulture’s stage production, Fela and the Kalakuta Queens, creating a layered cultural experience for visitors.Oyewo expressed optimism about expanding the Owambe Series in 2026 to explore other Nigerian celebrations such as naming ceremonies and birthdays, adding that there will be a more immersive and interactive exhibitions aimed at deepening audience engagement.