GALLERY
Then n now, 2023 collection
Sugar, Jesmonite, rhinestones, acrylic, mdf board, textiles
(discarded clothes)
242.2cm X 60cm X 25cm
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These monumental sculptures focus on depicting a celebratory narrative and representation of people of African descent by highlighting their distinctive relevance to contemporary culture, which inspires cultural pride in contemporary black achievement and calls for an appreciation of the black past as a worthy legacy. Standing in front of these iconic figurative sculptures, we are reminded of Black people’s struggles to freedom. Likewise, they are intended to catalyse an appreciation for how far Black people have come from the sugar trade and diamond rush era to today’s contemporary time period. The monuments intentionally raise the question of their value within today’s popular culture and draw attention to equality in all spheres of life as a fundamental to building a better future for all.
Why are we still here? part 2, 2025
Title, Why Are We Still Here? Part 2, 2025
Medium: container, textile ( second-hand clothes) and a performance art documentary.
Size: 10 foot container and 244cm x 207cm whiteboard
Description:
My artistic practice is driven by a desire to combat textile waste pollution, which harms our environment. I am dedicated to doing everything I can to address this.
The fashion industry has a catastrophic impact on the environment. It is the second-largest polluter globally, after the oil industry. As the industry expands, the environmental damage worsens alongside its growth.
This devastating impact also significantly sustains ongoing colonial practices within the industry.
Why are we still here? part 1
Title: Why Are We Still Here? Part 1, 2025
Medium: Eco-friendly Mannequin, textiles (Discarded clothes), and a performance art documentary.
Size: Male-head mannequin (42cm x 18cm)
Female half-body mannequin (82cm x 56cm)
Bale: 102cm x 49cm
Artist’s statement:
Feyisola Adeyemi is a Nigerian-Irish multidisciplinary artist, environmentalist and surrealist fashion designer based in the UK. Feyi’s practices centre on sculpture and the integration of textile waste upcycling. Feyi also enjoys experimenting with printmaking, hand-crafting, painting, installation, body and performance art.
Feyi’s fashion design background led to her art practice, which she pursued in the quest for perfection for her self-taught design career. She aimed to use her craft to impact the community at large positively. Her work draws inspiration from nature, societal issues, and the surrounding environment. Hence, her interest in tackling textile landfill waste by repurposing discarded clothing in her work.
Feyi's work explores Black cultural history, colonialism, Black joy, social change and climate action. Feyi is also an advocate for fighting against animal testing.
Artwork Description :
Kantamanto is one of the world's biggest secondhand clothing markets, recently destroyed by a fire outbreak. However, the question remains: Why is waste colonialism still prevalent in today's society?
This body of work reflects my distasteful view of the fashion world's Overproduction and overconsumption, which results in unbelievable volumes of waste, causing severe damage to our environment. It simultaneously showcases the value of textile waste upcycling as one of the alternative solutions to textile waste colonialism.
SOLACE, 2024
Title: Solace, 2024
Size: 164 cm x 164 cm
Medium: Acrylic, textile (discarded clothes), Banjo goatskin head and string on canvas. Supported with a performance art documentary.
Description:
"Solace" explores how banjo music served as a coping mechanism for enslaved Blacks, helping them endure the profound pain of slavery, and how it continues to provide comfort in today's world.
The banjo was a primary instrument for plantation musicians and became a symbol of transformation and transition, representing the journey from Africa to the New World and the passage from present suffering to future relief and redemption. The banjo was a powerful symbol for enslaved Africans, vital in transmitting cultural and spiritual memory, lineage, and history (Dubois, 2016). This connection offered them comfort and a surreal sense of survival.
Regrettably, the African origins of the banjo are often unknown to many today, as the instrument has been closely associated with Jim Crow and white supremacist culture since the early 20th century. This association has led some to view it as a symbol of oppression (Black Music Project, 2023).
This situation illustrates how capitalism has utilised systematic exploitation to create racial divisions. Race is central to any discussion about the banjo, as it is essential to the conversation about textiles. We must acknowledge how capitalism exploited the Atlantic slave trade to significantly boost cotton textile production, which now plays a critical role in the environmental crisis.
Movements that matter
Serena Williams (Tennis Champion), Burna Boy (Music Artist) and Anthony Joshua (Boxer) - Representatives from Then N Now Collection, 2023.
Sugar, Jesmonite, rhinestones, acrylic, mdf board, textiles
242.2cm x 60cm x 25cm
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Movements that Matter for Black History Month in partnership with Colt Technology Services.
Black History Month serves as an annual opportunity to recognize, honour and delve into historical and contemporary narratives
of the Black community. The theme "Movements that Matter" beautifully
encapsulates the essence of this important celebration. Which acknowledges the crucial role that Black people have played in shaping history and driving change. However, the exhibition highlighted various dimensions of movement - from personal journeys of resilience, courage, and self-discovery and societal journeys of collective power and social activism.
Then N Now aligns with the exhibition's goal of exploring societal challenges and transformation. These life-size sculptures serves as a means of understanding historical narratives and their impact on contemporary identity and representation.
The sculptures explore resistance as catalyst for positive change. They inspire cultural pride in contemporary Black achievement and call for an appreciation of the Black historical past as a worthy legacy.
Ultimately, these figuratives sculptures celebrates contemporary Black culture and achievements, echoing struggles to freedom and progress.
Then n now, 2023 collection
Sugar, Jesmonite, rhinestones, acrylic, mdf board, textiles
(discarded clothes)
242.2cm X 60cm X 25cm
---------------------
These monumental sculptures focus on depicting a celebratory narrative and representation of people of African descent by highlighting their distinctive relevance to contemporary culture, which inspires cultural pride in contemporary black achievement and calls for an appreciation of the black past as a worthy legacy. Standing in front of these iconic figurative sculptures, we are reminded of Black people’s struggles to freedom. Likewise, they are intended to catalyse an appreciation for how far Black people have come from the sugar trade and diamond rush era to today’s contemporary time period. The monuments intentionally raise the question of their value within today’s popular culture and draw attention to equality in all spheres of life as a fundamental to building a better future for all.
Then n now, 2023 collection
Sugar, Jesmonite, rhinestones, acrylic, mdf board, textiles
(discarded clothes)
242.2cm X 60cm X 25cm
---------------------
These monumental sculptures focus on depicting a celebratory narrative and representation of people of African descent by highlighting their distinctive relevance to contemporary culture, which inspires cultural pride in contemporary black achievement and calls for an appreciation of the black past as a worthy legacy. Standing in front of these iconic figurative sculptures, we are reminded of Black people’s struggles to freedom. Likewise, they are intended to catalyse an appreciation for how far Black people have come from the sugar trade and diamond rush era to today’s contemporary time period. The monuments intentionally raise the question of their value within today’s popular culture and draw attention to equality in all spheres of life as a fundamental to building a better future for all.
Shine a light, 2022
Shine a light, 2022
Textiles (discarded clothes) and acrylic on canvas
91.4 x 61 cm.
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This word installation art piece represents the intention behind the Shine a light project.
Shine a light, 2022
Textiles (discarded clothes) and acrylic on wood
23 x 29 inches
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Shine a light is about exploring the idea of flaunting and at the same time a celebration of some outstanding African female artists that are not globally known due to undervalued challenges that female artists (particularly the African female artists) constantly face in the art industry.
Shine a light, 2022
Textiles (discarded clothes) and acrylic on wood
23 x 29 inches
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Shine a light is about exploring the idea of flaunting and at the same time a celebration of some outstanding African female artists that are not globally known due to undervalued challenges that female artists (particularly the African female artists) constantly face in the art industry.
Fast Fashion Impact on our Environment, 2021
Textiles (Discarded clothes) on board
300 X 120 m
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Feyisola Adeyemi draws inspiration from the contemporary art movement. Feyi’s dynamic creative process is influenced by the Fast Fashion culture and its impact on our environment.
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Her word installation artwork titled “Fast Fashion Impact on Our Environment“ seeks to capture the fight for Sustainable Fashion. Exploring sphere of creative writing through Fine Arts, while also incorporating her Fashion background into her intricately crafted art piece with the use of some of her sons unwanted and discarded clothes, probably been worn once or twice.
However, challenging the audience to reconsider their perception of fast fashion and trend, including its impacts on the environment is the crux of this work.
The Art of Fashion, 2019
Print on Textiles
55 X 25 cm
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Fashion and art are two subjects that rotates around the same sphere which is creativity. When one think about fashion as distinct from “clothing”, “dress”, or “costume” it is as a communal concept of what is to be worn at a specific point in time rather than a ritualistic, esoteric, or utilitarian cover or beautification of the body.
While, the art of fashion is a perfect marriage of creativity, communication, and utility of one artistic expression. ( fashion-history.lovetoknow.com)
Hence, our personal style reflects an artistic association of oneself. This concept influenced the production of “The Art of Fashion” piece with the showcase of my Nigerian cultural female dressing.