THE SILENT GLOW by Oluwafemi Afolabi
Explore Mondoir Studio
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Dimensions: 24 x 24 in
Year: 2025
Price: $2000.00 USD
Status: available
In creating "The Silent Glow," I was inspired by the profound strength found in quiet resilience. The figure in this piece embodies a serene dignity, a reminder that true courage often resides in stillness. Her closed eyes suggest a world of introspection, where battles are fought and won in silence, away from the clamor of the outside world. The deep green of her skin symbolizes growth and renewal, while the intricate patterns etched upon her face reflect the complexity and beauty of inner strength. Her attire, with its vibrant oranges and blues, contrasts with the muted background, highlighting her as a beacon of light and hope. The geometric patterns on her clothing suggest a sense of order and balance, echoing the calm she exudes. I hope viewers feel a sense of peace and empowerment, recognizing the quiet glow within themselves. This piece is an invitation to embrace the silent strength that often goes unnoticed, yet is undeniably powerful.
Why collect this work?
A three-quarter bust is compressed between vertical background bands and dense garment patterns, while bat silhouettes merge with the face, complicating the stillness of the lowered gaze.
- Afolabi states that his painting attends to women’s lives and seeks to encourage overlooked people. In this work, that aim appears through concentrated stillness rather than an unfolding narrative.
- In the photograph, dark bats cross the green face and neck, intersecting with brows, shadows and hair. Red lips and one red earring provide small, sharp accents amid the restricted facial palette.
- The documented acrylic medium permits opaque colour, crisp outlines and closely spaced dots. Across the 24-inch square canvas, these contrasting marks bind skin, emblem and patterned clothing into a compact surface without erasing their differences.
- Dated 2025, the painting places portrait likeness against a repeated animal motif. Encountered within contemporary figurative painting, it raises a precise question: where does the depicted person end and the artist’s symbolic vocabulary begin?
About the Artist
Oluwafemi Afolabi
Oluwafemi Afolabi is an artist on Mondoir Studio. Artistic discipline: painting. Based in Ibadan , NG.
Nationality: Nigerian
To be precise, my art is my means of self-expression, the reflection of my community and the appreciation of nature; an avenue to capture and...
