Psithurisma - 21st Century Contemporary Abstract Expression Painting, Emotions, 2025

Olumide Ajayi  

There are days when I feel like I'm sitting inside my own mind the way this figure sits in the painting; quiet, suspended between what the world sees and what I actually carry. The warm oranges swirl around her like thoughts that have melted into fire, a reminder that the human spirit has always burned, even when history tried to snuff it out.

I often think about the generations before us who lived entire lives under the weight of expectations, silence, and survival. Women who swallowed their emotions because speaking them out loud was dangerous. Men who were taught that softness was a weakness. Children who learned too early that the world would not always make room for their fear, joy, confusion, or hope.

My mind goes to the stories of people whose emotional realities were never recorded; those who endured wars, colonialism, displacement, and cultural erasure. They carried wounds the world did not have language for. Their psycho-emotional battles lived in their bodies, in the way they sat, breathed, and held their own hands for comfort.

This painting is about that inheritance.
The things we don't say.
The storms we internalize.
The quiet resilience we teach ourselves because history taught us to survive before it taught us to feel.

The girl in the painting is not broken. She is pausing. Listening to her inner world, the same way the sun in the corner seems to listen to the sky. She is learning that the mind, too, has seasons. And that healing requires the courage to sit with yourself, even when your thoughts feel too loud.

In her stillness, she becomes a reminder that our emotional lives; no matter how chaotic, heavy, or misunderstood, are sacred, valid, and worth caring for. Just like the unspoken stories of those who came before us.

About Artist
Olumide Ajayi, born in the vibrant and culturally rich Osun State, Nigeria, is a multifaceted individual whose diverse interests and talents span writing, entrepreneurship, business management, and technology. Growing up in a region known for its deep-rooted traditions and artistic heritage, Olumide developed a profound appreciation for the arts, music, and entertainment from an early age. With an educational background in science and experience in business management and technology, Olumide has successfully combined his entrepreneurial spirit with his passion for creativity.

Olumide's works have been exhibited on prominent walls, including the National Museum of Unity, and have been purchased for a nonprofit youth shelter as great art for young minds' mental and emotional awareness at After8toEducate.

Artist Statement
In the depths of our being, we often encounter feelings so profound they are too deep to articulate, emotions that swirl like shadows, whispering secrets that linger just beyond the edges of understanding. My work seeks to embrace these complex feelings, giving them a canvas to breathe, shift, and resonate. My paintings generally explore the psychological and emotional aspects of everyday life. As the mind exists without form, the body acts as a window into the mind.

I tried to focus on the not-so-obvious feelings. I want to tell truths that you can see only if you care to look inward and pay attention to the details. The cyclical motifs and fading gradients in my works convey the endless flow of time, where individual lives are fleeting moments in a greater continuum. Life doesn't wait for you to be alright; it just keeps going like an endless circle.

Each piece I create reflects my journey through the labyrinth of human experience. I explore the beauty and turmoil of emotions that can feel isolating yet are universally shared. With paint, textures, and colours, I invite viewers to confront their depths and recognize that the feelings they carry are valid and significant.

I hope that when you stand before my work, you find a connection that transcends words, a reminder that you are not alone in your struggles and triumphs. These pieces are a testament to resilience, a visual embrace that assures us all that we will be fine in the end. Together, let us navigate the intricacies of our emotions and celebrate the profound strength that comes from vulnerability.