The artwork “Iya Agba” was created on January 1, 2004, marking the artist’s first piece of that year. Driven by a resolution to return to the studio and be done with the holiday celebration, Abiodun Olaku embarked on this artwork in his Universal Studio space that day with a strong desire to create something unusual. He aimed to experiment with the formal, restrained lines of Renaissance work while crafting an artwork that would be of interest to him and have an easy flow.
“Iya Agba” is a tribute to aging—the inevitability and beauty of it. Olaku decided not to use a model but to paint from memories of his own grandmother. The end result is an artwork that, in some ways, presents the truth about age. The lines are difficult, but they are lines that come from living, loving, and learning.
It was a poignant way to start the year—an artwork about time, strength, and love.