The Garden I Became by Olamilekan Okunade
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 42 x 48 in
Year: 2026
Price: $4700.00 USD
Status: available
For so long, I believed that love and acceptance came from how much I chased people or sought their validation. Growing up was tough, and being single-handedly raised, I was afraid my situation would define me. I begged to be seen and constantly proved myself to people who never truly saw or cared about me. At some point, I began feeling less of myself. I became angry whenever I saw friends and family with both parents, even reopening my mother’s old wounds because, in my mind, it was her fault. I failed to understand that she was never the reason for my pain. Little did I know that I was chasing an illusion of who I wanted people to see while neglecting the person I was meant to become. Recently, I found myself among the same people I had spent years performing for. At a popular garden, I watched butterflies buzzing and dancing around a particular flower, and a thought suddenly struck me: If you had been that flower all along, you would have found peace. Instead of chasing butterflies, why not simply plant a garden filled with flowers? This piece is a metaphor for that journey. The colourful female portrait represents how much of myself I had given away, while the garden symbolizes my potential and originality after I stopped chasing and performing for the wrong audience. The golden butterflies represent everything I thought would complete me, love, affection, family, and belonging, which were finally drawn to the beautiful garden I had cultivated. This work is a reminder to me, and to every woman who has tiptoed, chased, and walked on a double-edged sword just to feel seen and accepted: plant a garden, and your butterflies will come, irrespective of where you are.
About the Artist
Olamilekan Okunade
Nationality: Nigerian
Geometry pattern| Constructivism Art| Pixilating Arts| Creating Piece with Acrylic on canvas Co-Founder @sipandpaintyourmentalhealth
