Galerie Myrtis

Damilare Kanyinsola Statement

admin — Fri, 06 Nov 2026 18:34:27 +0000

Statement

My practice is a visual meditation, a deeply personal and cultural exploration of identity shaped by everyday narratives that reclaim dignity, ancestral presence, and the lived realities of Lagos, a city defined by rhythm, fashion, and layered histories of resilient people, grounded in an enduring sense of spiritual depth. Growing up within its dense social and visual ecosystem, I became attuned to the quiet tensions and harmonies between tradition and modernity, individuality and community. These early impressions continue to shape the lens through which I perceive and convey my ideas, as both reflection and response: a visual language that honours lived experience while reimagining its place within broader socio-political and global narratives.

I consider myself an African Realist painter. I create portraits of Black subjects enriched with bold textures, damask patterns, and recurring animal and insect companions. These motifs are not merely decorative; they function as vessels of memory and philosophy, drawing from African cosmologies in which humans and non-humans exist within a shared spiritual continuum. They also operate as relational ecosystems shaped by co-inhabitation, ethnology, and social archives.
My work engages with movement across space and time as a layered condition, physical, cultural, and emotional—rooted in memory, displacement, and connection. I am particularly interested in the historical and contemporary exchanges between West Africa and Black diasporic communities across the Americas, Europe, and the Caribbean, where shared histories and cultural continuities persist in language, belief systems, ideology, and visual

Gardens know her color, 2026
Oil and acrylic on canvas
20 x 16 in

Damilare Kanyinsola

admin — Fri, 06 Nov 2026 18:23:34 +0000

Damilare Jamiu Kanyinsola (b. 1994, Lagos Island, Nigeria) is a contemporary Nigerian painter whose practice is rooted in African realism. Growing up in Lagos, he was drawn to the interplay of tradition and modernity in the city’s everyday life. He apprenticed with Lagos-based artist Muyiwa Williams and earned a degree in Arabic language with a focus on African Cultural Studies from the University of Ilorin. He began his professional career in 2016, and in 2024 the NAACP acquired four of his paintings.

Working in oil and acrylic, Kanyinsola paints portraits that foreground the dignity, complexity, and inner lives of his Black subjects. Bold textures, damask patterns, and recurring animal and insect figures draw on Yoruba heritage and African cosmologies, evoking ancestral presence and the spiritual kinship between humans and the natural world. Through these motifs, he connects the lived experience of Lagos with the histories and cultural traditions that link West Africa to Black communities across the Americas, Europe, and the Caribbean.

Where Kings are Flowers, 2026
Oil and acrylic on canvas
21 x 17 in

Damilare Kanyinsola biography

admin — Fri, 06 Nov 2026 18:23:12 +0000

Biography

Damilare Jamiu Kanyinsola (b. 1994, Lagos Island, Nigeria) is a contemporary Nigerian artist whose practice is rooted in African realism, with a strong emphasis on identity, spirituality, and the lived Black experience. Raised in the culturally rich and bustling heart of Lagos Island, he discovered his passion for art at an early age and apprenticed under Lagos-based artist Muyiwa Williams. Alongside his artistic journey, Jamiu pursued academic studies, earning a degree in Arabic language with a focus on African Cultural Studies from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, 2021. These early impressions continue to shape how Kanyinsola sees the world and expresses his ideas. His paintings both reflect and respond to the lived experiences of his subjects, situating their individual stories within broader social, political, and global contexts.

Damilare’s works are primarily figurative painting of Black subjects, rendered in oil and acrylic, and often enriched with damask patterns that echo Black heritage and Afrocentric pride. His subjects, frequently accompanied by animal and insect that reflect themes of companionship, ancestral connection, and co-inhabitation. Deeply philosophical, his art engages with socio-political issues, aiming to amplify marginalized voices while offering moments of reflection and spiritual depth. He views art as a sanctuary and a tool for cultural reclamation, social archive, mental awareness, personal resonance, and healing. As he aims to bridge the local and the diaspora, the personal and the collective, to document, question, and to affirm—to create images that embodies beauty, complexity, and the evolving narrative of Black identity, cultural relevance, mental health, and memory.

FUZE Art Fair 2026

admin — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:48:09 +0000

FUZE Caribbean Art Fair 2026

LOCATION: Baha Mar Resort in Nassau, Bahamas
October 21 -25, 2026

view the artwork | view catalog

Coming Home

Coming Home brings together the mixed-media collages of Lavett Ballard and the layered figurative paintings of Damilare Jamiu Kanyinsola, examining home as a site of memory, identity, and collective care. Both artists create intimate portraits of Black life that affirm belonging in a world shaped by displacement and isolation.

Ballard’s collages explore how self and community are constructed through layered histories and material memory. Combining painted imagery, textiles, and fragmented visual references, she shows how home is carried internally through memory, ritual, and cultural inheritance.

Kanyinsola’s paintings evoke home as a psychological and spiritual sanctuary. His subjects carry a regal presence, surrounded by botanical imagery, patterned textiles, and vibrant color that speak to cultural continuity. Rejecting narratives of scarcity, his portraits offer Black domesticity rooted in abundance, tenderness, and emotional grounding.

Together, Ballard and Kanyinsola envision home not only as a physical place but as an emotional and communal condition, emphasizing restoration over spectacle and storytelling over transaction. The presentation aligns with FUZE Art Fair’s commitment to collaboration, Caribbean diasporic dialogue, and collective growth.

Coming home, they remind us, is both a return and a reimagining: an act of creating spaces where people can be fully seen, valued, and connected.

The fair will take place from October 21nd to 25th, running daily from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM at the Baha Mar Resort in Nassau, Bahamas. Click here for ticket information.

Stars and Stripes Pride Protest Promise

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 15:50:23 +0000

The Reconciliation / What’s More American Than Vanilla Ice Cream, 2024-2025
36 × 44 inches
Framed: 52 × 60 × 4 inches
Embroidery on archival pigment print

Stars and Stripes: Pride, Protest & Promise

October 16, 2026 – February 5, 2027

Artist Talk: November 21, 2:00–4:00 p.m.
(RSVP REQUIRED)
Stars and Stripes was featured on the CNN segment Art is Life, hosted by Victor Blackwell. watch the video

view artwork

In celebration of its twentieth anniversary, Galerie Myrtis will present Stars and Stripes: Pride, Protest & Promise, an exhibition examining the enduring symbolism of the American flag and the complex meanings of patriotism, from October 16, 2026, through February 5, 2027.

Marking both a significant milestone for Galerie Myrtis and a pivotal moment of national reflection, the exhibition coincides with the United States’ 250th anniversary. This historic occasion invites renewed consideration of the symbols, values, and narratives that have shaped the American experience—and of the ideals represented by the nation’s most enduring symbol: the American flag.

First explored by Galerie Myrtis in its 2008 exhibition Stars and Stripes: Pride or Despair, the subject returns nearly two decades later with renewed urgency. Through the perspectives of contemporary artists, the exhibition examines patriotism, belonging, identity, freedom, and the enduring tensions between the promise of America and the realities of the American experience.

The American flag endures as one of the nation’s most potent and contested symbols. It has flown over moments of profound progress and painful contradiction: the expansion of civil rights alongside their persistent contestation, democratic ideals shadowed by systemic inequities.

Drawing from the visual language of stars and stripes, the artists in this exhibition—representing diverse cultural, racial, and religious backgrounds—engage the flag not as a static icon, but as a living, evolving site of meaning. Their works celebrate resilience, sacrifice, and collective achievement while also challenging narratives that obscure histories of exclusion and unresolved injustice.

Situated within today’s charged political and social climate—marked by polarization, debates around belonging, and renewed demands for accountability, the exhibition asks what patriotism can and should mean in the present moment. The American flag becomes both mirror and measure, reflecting pride and grief, hope and dissent. These tensions are not framed as oppositional, but as inseparable forces that have always shaped the nation’s democratic project.

By returning to this theme at a pivotal historical moment, Galerie Myrtis underscores the enduring relevance of artistic inquiry in shaping civic imagination. Stars and Stripes: Pride, Protest & Promise, honors the struggles and triumphs that have expanded democracy’s reach, while inviting reflection on the work that remains. As the nation looks toward its next century, the exhibition affirms that celebration and critique are not contradictory acts, but essential components of an engaged, evolving democracy.

Featured Artists: Devin Allen, Lavett Ballard, Wesley Clark, Connor Czora, Tawny Chatmon, Morel Doucet, Ya La’Ford, Jerrell Gibbs, Susan Goldman, Monica Ikegwu, Ronald Jackson, Fabiola Jean-Louis, M. Scott Johnson, Megan Lewis, Lex Marie, Kim Rice, James Seward, and Felandus Thames.

An American Fiction – Ronald Jackson

admin — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:16:45 +0000

An American Fiction

Opening Reception:
Saturday, September 5th, from 2:00 – 6:00

Artist Talk: October 3rd, from 2:00 – 4:00 (RSVP REQUIRED)

The exhibit will run September 5 – October 3, 2026.

view artwork

Galerie Myrtis is proud to present “An American Fiction,” a solo exhibition showcasing new paintings by Ronald Jackson. This presentation marks a compelling new chapter in Jackson’s ongoing exploration of identity, memory, and portraiture. The exhibit introduces a vibrant cast of characters drawn from a fictional narrative inspired by Percival Everett’s novel “Erasure,” alongside elements from its film adaptation directed by Cord Jefferson.

Artist Statement

I create and paint characters who belong to stories that are yet to be written.

My work begins in the private space of invention—creating individuals out of imagination, and then imagining how their lives intersect within an unmade world. Drawing inspiration from the satirical humor of American Fiction and the layered storytelling of Percival Everett’s Erasure, this series frames each portrait as a casting list or a production still from an unrealized screenplay titled An American Fiction.

Through detailed and cinematic titles, each figure is cast twice over: as a character holding a specific station in an untold narrative, and as a fictional actor playing the part. Some of these figures wear masks—a motif that has been central to my practice, suggesting that there is something to be discovered. I use the mask not to conceal, but to signal that a rich, unexcavated narrative exists beneath the surface. It asks the viewer to consider what lies beyond the visible role, prompting a question central to performance: are we admiring the superficial? Do we distinguish between the performer and the character being played? Do we recognize that there is likely a very different reality than the one being presented to us?

In the film American Fiction, the protagonist, Monk, describes his creative process with striking simplicity: “I just invent little people in my mind and make them have conversations with each other.” That spark of pure imagination—the freedom to build characters simply because they are interesting—is the foundation of my interest in creating characters inside imagined stories.

I choose to convey imagery with a quiet and subtle touch of magical realism, where things feel just slightly outside of the ordinary. With AN AMERICAN FICTION, I set a stage that teeters on the edges of the fantastical. I present characters that occupy spaces within the deliberate mysteries of an unfinished story – an unfinished story that only develops further when in collaboration with the viewer’s imagination.

— Ronald Jackson

Holding Space to Bloom – Virtual Exhibition

admin — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 08:49:33 +0000

Holding Space to Bloom – Virtual Exhibition

view artwork

Holding Space to Bloom, a virtual exhibition bringing together the work of Morel Doucet, Monica Ikegwu, and Ya La’ford, in an exploration of personal, communal, and ecological spaces that nurture belonging, resilience, and collective flourishing. Co-curated by Gallery Directors Noel Bedolla and Ky Vassor, this exhibit examines how care, memory, identity, and the environment shape conditions for growth.

At its core, Holding Space to Bloom considers what it means to cultivate environments where individuals, communities, and ecosystems can thrive. Blooming is both a process and a celebration that recognizes the beauty, strength, and possibility that emerge when care is sustained over time. The works themselves extend this idea beyond the gallery as they become part of homes, collections, and institutions; places where they continue to inspire reflection, connection, and dialogue in everyday life.

Through assemblage, Morel Doucet asserts that the land is a vessel of memory and renewal, serving as a repository for the stories of its stewards. Monica Ikegwu explores the influence of environment on the formation of identity. These intimate hyperrealistic portraits celebrate the richness of everyday Black life, transforming presence into affirmations of cultural continuity and belonging. Ya La’ford invites audiences to engage in a reflective examination of spatial formation and the trajectory of humanity. Through abstraction La’ford navigates the intersections of land, heritage, and global histories. Collectively, featured artists underscore the notion that flourishing emerges through relationships, creativity, and care.

Holding Space to Bloom invites viewers to consider not only the spaces we inhabit, but also the role art plays within them. Works featured serve as archives for memory, conversation, and belonging. They remind us that art does more than reflect our lives; it helps shape the environments where we gather, remember, and ultimately bloom.

artwork: Monica Ikegwu, Eclipse, 2025, Oil on canvas, 36 x 48″

Programming: Room to Bloom – Virtual Panel Discussion | August 22nd | Time: 2:00 – 4:00 pm

Galerie Myrtis invites you to join our upcoming virtual program, “Room to Bloom.” This panel discussion will explore the vital role contemporary artists play in preserving cultural heritage and fostering growth within their communities through art. Panelists include featured artists from Holding Space to Bloom and a Co-Founder of Flourish Artist Accelerator. Flourish is a Chicago-based national organization that empowers artists, curators, and communities through mentorship, partnership, and investment. Moderated by Co-curator and Assistant Director Ky Vassor, this engaging discussion aims to illuminate the interconnectedness of art, culture, and community empowerment. The panel will conclude with a Q&A session, offering a unique opportunity for attendees to engage directly with panelists on their practices and upcoming projects.

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair 2026

admin — Wed, 06 May 2026 20:25:11 +0000

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair | Booth #9

Lavett Ballard | Damilare Kanyinsola | Megan Lewis

price list | catalog |

DAMILARE JAMIU, A Piece of Peace, 2025, Oil and acrylic on canvas, 48″ x 36″

About the Artists

Lavett Ballard

b. 1970, East Orange, New Jersey

Lavett Ballard (b. 1970, East Orange, NJ) anchors the presentation with richly layered portraits that fuse historical consciousness and decorative abstraction. Holding dual Bachelor’s degrees in Studio Art and Art History with a minor in Museum Studies from Rutgers University, and an MFA from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Ballard brings academic rigor and cultural sensitivity to her practice. Her compositions often incorporate wallpaper-like motifs, gilded surfaces, and symbolic patterning that reference African textiles while engaging Western portrait traditions. Ballard’s national recognition includes her commission by Time Magazine.

Damilare Jamiu Kanyinsola

b. 1994, Lagos Island, Nigeria

Damilare Jamiu Kanyinsola (b. 1994, Lagos Island, Nigeria) grounds the presentation in lived African experience and philosophical reflection. Apprenticed early under Lagos-based artist Muyiwa Williams, Damilare developed a practice deeply informed by his environment and the realities of contemporary Nigeria. Self-described as an African Realist, he centers authentic African narratives through figurative painting that often includes animals—cats and dogs—as symbolic companions. His work reflects a meditative engagement with humanity, spirituality, and Black consciousness. Within the booth, Damilare’s paintings offer an intimate, grounded perspective on African identity, memory, and resilience.

Megan Lewis

b. 1989, Baltimore, Maryland

Megan Lewis (b. 1989, Baltimore, MD) contributes a dynamic, painterly counterpoint through highly physical ﬁgurative works that pulse with movement and color. A graduate of Ringling College of Art and Design (BFA, Illustration, 2011), Lewis is both a painter and muralist, known for wielding a palette knife with decisive precision. Her ﬁgures are rendered in bold hues and geometric forms, often adorned with layered textiles that draw from African design traditions. Ankara fabrics—some acquired during her travels to Johannesburg, South Africa—are integrated directly into her paintings, collapsing boundaries between surface, pattern, and body.

Beyond the Surface – Exploring Visibility in Print

admin — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 17:50:56 +0000

Beyond the Surface: Exploring Visibility in Print

May 2 – July 11, 2026

preview artwork | programming

Galerie Myrtis is proud to present Beyond the Surface: Exploring Visibility in Print, a group exhibition organized by the Legacy Print Council (LPC) and guest curated by Delita Martin. Featuring eleven artists, the exhibition examines the layered and often contested idea of visibility through the medium of printmaking.

The exhibition debuts the inaugural LPC portfolio alongside additional works by each participating artist, creating a dynamic conversation about presence, recognition, concealment, and power. Through diverse printmaking practices, the artists explore visibility not as a fixed state, but as an experience shaped by history, identity, and social context.

Grounded in the tactile language of print, the works move beyond surface appearances to consider how individuals and communities are seen, overlooked, exposed, and remembered in the digital age.

“Together, the eleven artists in this exhibition invite viewers to move beyond surface readings and into deeper engagement. They ask us to consider not only what is visible, but how we see, who is granted recognition, and what remains overlooked. Through the enduring and tactile language of printmaking, Beyond the Surface becomes both a space of reflection and a call to awareness, challenging us to reconsider our role as observers and participants in the ongoing act of making meaning visible.” – Delita Martin

Featured Artists: Chole Alexander, Rabea Ballin, Jamaal Barber, Maurice Evans, Ann Johnson, Grace Kisa, Delita Martin, Steve Prince, Rashaun Rucker, Jess Sabogal, and Shanna Stauss

Delita Martin, Beneath What Is Seen, Beyond the Surface: Exploring Visibility in Print Portfolio, 2026
Relief, screen printing, lithography, and hand details, 20 x 16”

Programming

Saturday, June 13, 2:00 – 4:00 pm

In-Person Artist Panel

Galerie Myrtis invites you to an engaging panel discussion presented in conjunction with the exhibition Beyond the Surface: Exploring Visibility in Print. Participating artists will offer personal reflections on the material choices, historical contexts, and social influences that shape their creative practices.

Moderated by Galerie Myrtis Founding Director Dr. Myrtis Bedolla, the conversation will explore the shared and individual narratives woven throughout the exhibition. Printmakers working across diverse mediums will discuss their methodologies and the deeper themes embedded in their work.

The program will conclude with an open Q&A, offering attendees a rare opportunity to connect directly with the artists and learn more about their current and upcoming projects.

In Person
Registration required
Limited seating

July 11, 2026, 2:00 – 4:00 pm

Seen/Unseen: Contemporary Approaches to Visibility in Print – Virtual Panel

Join the Legacy Print Council (LPC) for a dynamic virtual panel discussion exploring the collaborative power, creative possibilities, and enduring impact of printmaking. Moderated by Myrtis Bedolla, Founding Director of Galerie Myrtis, the conversation will feature LPC members reflecting on the collective’s inaugural portfolio, Beyond the Surface: Exploring Visibility in Print, while examining the broader role of printmaking as a vehicle for cultural preservation, activism, storytelling, and artistic innovation.

Through discussions of process, imagery, and conceptual development, participating artists will share how themes of visibility, presence, identity, memory, and perception inform their individual contributions to the portfolio and their wider artistic practices. Panelists will also offer insight into the creation of portfolio exchanges, the cultivation of a print-based artist collective, and the ways contemporary printmakers continue to shape critical conversations while honoring the rich legacy of the medium. Together, the discussion highlights printmaking’s unique capacity to reveal, document, challenge, and preserve the complexities of the human experience. Featured panelists include Rabéa Ballin, Jamaal Barber, Maurice Evans, Ann Johnson, Grace Kisa, Delita Martin, and Shanna Strauss.

Virtual
Registration required

Date TBD

Virtual Closing Program

2:00 – 4:00 pm

Galerie Myrtis cordially invites you to our virtual closing program for Beyond the Surface: Exploring Visibility in Print. During this discussion, artists from the Legacy Print Council will present their recently released portfolio, Beyond the Surface: Exploring Visibility in Print.

Each artist will elaborate on how their work relates to the portfolio and provide insights into the print they contributed, offering audiences a richer understanding of the project and its broader themes.

Virtual
Registration will be required

Expo Chicago 2026 Audio Catalog

admin — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 18:35:12 +0000