I Met Two Great Artists Before the World Did...
Inside the Elementals Art Salon this June
For most gallery and museum enthusiasts, there’s a version of an artist we never get to meet. This is the artist before the acclaim, before the waiting lists, before the art world decides they matter. The Elementals Art Salon, which took place on Saturday and Sunday, 12-13th June, was a deliberate attempt to close that gap.
Curated by Paul Ayihawu and Olamide Faloore, Elementals brought together a group of emerging contemporary artists from Lagos’ art scene in a setting that felt genuinely relaxed and human. The idea at the heart of it was simple: what if you could meet an artist early? Not after the distance has set in, but right at the beginning, while things are still forming.
For my vantage point on Saturday, what that looked like in practice was a room full of small-format original works and limited edition prints at prices that actually made sense for younger and first-time collectors. To be able to stand in front of a piece, speak to the artist about it, and walk away with it under your arm. Conversations flowed, people stayed longer than they had planned to, and the art felt like it was for everyone in the room. It was exactly the kind of space that inspired me to chat with two women artists that showed at the exhibition: Rita Odum and Raheemat Shittu.
In Conversation: Rita Odum (@rita.designs_)
Designer, artist, illustrator, and, in her own words, "your favourite art girlie", Rita Odum came to this exhibition with a deeply personal series. The works emerged from a period of uncertainty, not knowing where she was going or why she was where she was.
What inspired this series?
“It was a period in my life when I was just floating, when you don’t know your direction and you don’t know what the future holds. I turned to art to express those feelings. For example, in the first illustration, she’s smiling, but she’s still extremely sad. After a period of introspection, I learned that I need to be comfortable with being lost if I want to move forward. This feeling that I have is okay. I don’t have to have it all figured out by a particular age. The moment I became comfortable with being patient with myself and properly regulating, things started to fall into place. It was also when Paul reached out and said, ‘Yo, I have space for you,’ that I finally sat down with my feelings.”
By the time we spoke, one of Rita’s two works had already sold. When asked what she’d want the buyer to notice:
What should the buyer see that others might miss?
“I hope the buyer recognises that she’s at peace and she’s happy with where she is. She hasn’t fully realised her full potential, but she’s still grateful for what she has. She’s becoming. You can see the transition from the great crash-out (second artwork) to when she becomes calm. She still has this red rose that represents the anxiety, the uncertainty, she still has it with her. She loves that person she used to be. She cannot hate that person. And she’s bringing that person with her, up into her future.”
In Conversation: Raheemat Shittu (@artbyrahh)
Raheemat Shittu arrived at Elementals with something quietly radical: choosing to look back. The works she exhibited are pieces from earlier chapters of her journey as an artist (between 2021 and 2022) and they’ve been brought forward into this moment.
What inspired the series you chose for this exhibition?
“When I started working as an artist, I never really got a chance to show these paintings. I wanted something that paid homage to the journeys I’ve been on. I felt like the stage I’m in right now is still about looking back to look forward.”
Her work rewards careful attention, and she’s very aware of that.
What do you want attendees to notice?
“When I started painting, I was very particular about attention to detail. If you zoom in to the waves, the sunrise, even the lines, I wanted them to be very specific. That is something that shaped my journey as an artist. I was particular about everything, and I carry that through the entire process. I think when people look at my work, they should look at the hours and love and care and attention, everything!”
Elementals is a reminder that access is itself a curatorial act. The salon didn’t just show art: it lowered the drawbridge.
P.S. THE FOG (my fiction story series) is still going strong and you can read chapter 1 and 2 (Chapter 3 drops soon!).
Also in looking ahead, Raheemat has been selected as one of the artists participating in an upcoming exhibition at Didi Museum Lagos, in collaboration with Book Nook and curated by the store’s founder, Uzo Orimalade.
Details and the event poster below:
All works and events highlighted reflect HPC’s ongoing commitment to spotlighting emerging voices in contemporary Nigerian art and culture.