Paper Art by Ayobola Kekere-Ekun

Nigerian artist, Ayobola Kekere-Ekun, uses strips of paper, ribbons, fabric, and a host of materials to create her beautiful forms, which she uses to illustrate issues across gender, social structures and the human connection.

Her work is so unique because she creates such complex structures with distinct paper lines, embellished with other materials. She does confess that she has long had a fascination for lines, so it’s no surprise that it’s the major basis of her work.

Her latest work (in 2020) showcases women (her central form) in stages of friendship, love and caring e.g. as depicted by three women/girls making each other’s hair, or a mother preparing breakfast for her children. In this particular series titled She and I, the images are Kekere-Ekun’s attempts to recreate memories from her childhood. She represents these using bursts of coloured paper, structured in lines but playful at the same time.

Check out some of her work below.

Find out more about Ayobola Kekere-Ekun here