Come as you are by Oluwafemi Akanmu
Explore Mondoir Studio
Medium: Charcoal and acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 24 x 27 in
Year: 2023
Price: $1350.00 USD
Status: available
For we’ve come this far to be whatever we’ve planned to be From the lessons we’ve learned And all the reasons that keep us going, though the journey is far and rough but we shall never forget how far we’ve come. "Come as you are" is phrase that emphasizes the importance of authenticity and. It encourages individuals embrace themselves as they truly are, without pretense or judgment. mindset promotes self-acceptance self-love, and genuine connections with others who appreciate and value you for who you are. Embracing the "come as you are" philosophy can lead to greater happiness, fulfillment, and meaningful relationships in life.
Why collect this work?
A tightly cropped frontal portrait sets a composed figure against an insistent field of repeated marks, presenting self-possession as something maintained amid visual pressure rather than secured through isolation.
- Akanmu states that his practice emphasizes the dignity of Black identity and is rooted in hope. Here, that intention clarifies the title’s appeal to authenticity, while the figure’s direct gaze gives the idea a specific human presence.
- In the photograph, the dark face and torso form a steady central axis. A tilted pale quadrilateral frames the head, while flowers, spirals, bars and angular signs activate the red ground; the pendant draws the eye downward through the otherwise compressed composition.
- The documented charcoal and acrylic medium makes possible a pointed contrast between tonal modelling in the face and flatter, brighter passages around it. This separation gives the figure visual weight without detaching it from the patterned surface.
- Encountered among contemporary portraits, this work supports discussion of how likeness, ornament and graphic pattern can jointly construct public identity, rather than treating the background as secondary decoration.
About the Artist
Oluwafemi Akanmu
Oluwafemi Akanmu is an artist on Mondoir Studio. Artistic discipline: painting. Based in Ibadan, NG.
Nationality: Nigerian
Through my art, I intentionally highlight the richness of African culture and its enduring beauty, with particular emphasis on the dignity and...
