Abara Meji - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Expressionism, Art Deco, 2025

Zainab Oluwadamilola Ajala  

Àbárá Méjì is an indigenous term that the Yòrúbà people of Nigeria call pregnant women. It's a term with an in-depth meaning; it means one being with another.

This painting shows a pregnant young lady with a single daisy flower in her hand. As humans, we're all pregnant regardless of our gender; we are pregnant with ideas, dreams, and aspirations,and as expected we all believe that a day of bringing forth will come. Just as every pregnant woman goes through three stages of pregnancy, with each morning sickness differing from the next, so also is our life journey. Some people find life so easy, and some have to go through a series of hard work/struggles, but the thought of bringing forth will always propel us to keep pushing on. The daisy represents purity, innocence, and new beginnings; the birth of dreams and ideas always brings about newness to an individual. Regardless, let's keep up the good spirit, and one day our dreams will come through.

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About Artist
Zainab Oluwadamilola Ajala is a Nigerian artist from Ondo State, a Fine Arts graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, where she earned a Second-Class Upper Division. Her artistic journey began with her late father, Alhaji Sheu Ayinde Ajala, who saw her potential and enrolled her as an apprentice with a roadside artist. This passion fueled her desire to study art and take it as a profession.

Over the years, she has developed a unique approach, beginning with her late father, Alhaji Sheu Ayinde Ajala, who saw her potential in painting. Her artistic style is a unique fusion of abstraction and realism, capturing both the real and unreal aspects of daily human activities. Ajala employs vibrant and captivating colours to convey her messages effectively. She favors the medium of 'Oil' and employs a palette knife as her tool of choice, giving her the freedom to express herself through impasto techniques.

Beyond her studio practice, Ajala has experience in art education and supervision, equipping herself with strong leadership, collaborative, and curatorial skills. She continues to expand her practice through exhibitions and collaborative projects, positioning herself as a growing voice in the art industry.

Artist Statement
My work explores the relationship between humanity, nature, culture, and communal bonds. Inspired by family, womanhood, and Yoruba heritage.

I am driven by the invisible threads that bind us: the intimacy of family, the endurance of cultural heritage, and the strength of womanhood. By blending the abstract with the tangible, I translate personal experiences and the rhythms of daily living into a visual exploration of communal bonds.

I incorporate Adire and Aso-oke as symbols of identity and history. Influenced by traditional African sculpture, my exaggerated eyes embody spiritual authority, perception, and the ancestral connection between sight, soul, and memory. This choice honors the Yoruba adage, "Oju l'oba ara" (The eyes are the king of the body).