Joy Labinjo

Lives and works in London, UK

Artist statement

I am a figurative painter exploring themes such as identity, politics, power, Blackness, community, family and history. The figures featured in my paintings are sourced from personal and archival imagery and are reconfigured to explore new narratives which straddle the real and the imagined. Working between the contemporary and historical, narratives are created as a way to explore the above themes. I view at exploring themes surrounding race and identity from two directions, the past and the present. I don’t believe that I can explore contemporary themes of race and identity without looking to history as a way of understanding where we find ourselves now. Storytelling and exploring shared experiences are at the core of my practice, occasionally using humour and satire to convey the absurdity. I’m fascinated by our lived experiences - specifically lived experiences pertaining to my identity as a Black British Nigerian female but also the experiences we share as humans without the identifying characteristics. We have more in common than what separates us, however, I think it does us a disservice to only focus on the positive and gloss over the parts of society that aren’t as pleasant. Sharing stories and histories is beneficial for us all

Artwork