To be or not to be 2 by Reuben Ayodeji
Explore Mondoir Studio
Medium: Acrylic on canvas (palette knife)
Dimensions: 45.7 x 55.9 cm
Year: 2025
Price: $600.00 USD
Status: available
In creating "To be or not to be," I delved into the tumultuous space of indecision, where every choice feels like standing at the edge of a precipice. This piece was born from my own moments of uncertainty, where the heart and mind wrestle in a dance of possibilities. The figure, central and raw, is caught in this vibrant storm of emotion, embodying the struggle between clarity and confusion. I used bold strokes of orange and blue to mirror the intensity of this internal conflict. The palette knife allowed me to layer these colors dynamically, capturing the essence of movement and change. The orange signifies the heat of passion and urgency, while the blue offers a counterbalance of calm and introspection. Together, they create a vivid backdrop that reflects the viewer's own experiences of decision-making. I hope that when you engage with this painting, you feel a connection to your own pivotal moments. May it inspire you to embrace the beauty of uncertainty and find strength in the choices that shape your journey.
Why collect this work?
Large orange and blue passages interrupt the seated figure, turning indecision into a contest between bodily coherence and pictorial fragmentation rather than illustrating a single, legible emotion.
- Ayodeji states that he uses body language and facial expression to address everyday pressures. Here, the lowered head and compressed seated posture carry more meaning than the obscured facial features.
- In the photograph, dark lines loosely establish the chair, torso and limbs. Pale contours momentarily separate the trousers from adjacent blue fields, while orange passages alternately frame and cut across the body.
- The catalogue identifies acrylic on canvas applied with a palette knife. That combination makes broad, opaque areas and abrupt edges possible, while finer linear marks preserve the figure’s provisional structure.
- Dated 2025, this painting provides a focused case for considering how contemporary portraiture can withhold facial likeness and instead construct identity through posture, partial visibility and competing colour masses.
About the Artist
Reuben Ayodeji
Reuben Ayodeji is an artist on Mondoir Studio. Artistic discipline: painting. Based in Abuja, Nigeria.
Nationality: Nigerian
My artistic focus lies in the creation of unique works that convey emotions through body language and facial expressions.
