You’re My Sweetie, My Sugar, J.W. Anderson flagship store, Soho
22 - 30 November 2022

The title of this exhibition, ‘You’re My Sweetie, My Sugar’, is taken from Sierra Leonean singer, Bunny Mack’s song ‘Let Me Love You’ - a phrase which cannot not be sung out loud, for those familiar with the tune. Olulode’s work has imagery of warmth, intimacy, nighttime and love. These themes all correspond with the location of the J.W. Anderson flagship store in Soho, an area of London which comes particularly alive at night and which has a rich history for being a place for open expression of love. 

Olulode’s work also has a strong link to fashion and textiles – her blue paintings are either physically on indigo adirè fabric or inspired by its colours. Adirè is an indigo-dyed cloth made, traditionally, in southwestern Nigeria by Yoruba women and is used ubiquitously for clothing in Nigeria. The tradition of indigo dyeing is centuries old in West Africa, with the earliest example being from the Dogon Kingdom in 11th century Mali. In Nigeria, adirè is historically designed and dyed by female practitioners, and Olulode herself has learnt the method of dyeing used to create adirè, and often incorporates her own dyed fabric into her works.

Photography courtesy of Jennifer Moyes @jennfiermoyesphoto