SACRED IMPRINTS: Bearing Witness to Ancestral Spirits
Adeola Davies-Aiyeloja
Gallery 825 , Los Angeles, CA
March 23 — April 26, 2024
In her debut exhibition, Adeola Davies-Aiyeloja delves into the profound exploration of ancestral spirits, particularly those affected by the transatlantic slave trade. Inspired by her recent journey to the Cape Coast and Elmina Castles in Ghana, Davies-Aiyeloja was deeply moved by the haunting imprints left on the castle walls – faces, figures, and abstracted forms, notably within the dungeons.
Through her art, Davies-Aiyeloja captures the stories of suffering, anguish, resilience, and tenacity embedded in these historical spaces. She draws parallels between the experiences of those held captive in the dungeons and the contemporary struggles faced by marginalized communities today. The urgency to give voice to the past becomes a powerful metaphor for present-day injustices.
In her artist statement, Davies-Aiyeloja shares, “In my current body of work, I explore the ancestral spirits of the transatlantic slave trade that is inspired by my recent trip to Cape Coast and Elmina Castles in Ghana. The Castle’s walls were imprinted with faces, figures in abstracted forms, most especially in the dungeons. The stories told reflect their sufferings, anguish, resilience, and tenacity in the dungeons which is very well aligned in our current society norms of treatment of the marginalized communities. The experience was very profound and left me with the urgency of giving a voice to the past as a metaphor for current experiences.”
Join Adeola Davies-Aiyeloja as she invites viewers to bear witness to the sacred imprints of ancestral spirits and engage in a conversation about the enduring legacy of resilience and survival.