Nigerian-Irish artist Fiyin Oluokun discusses her exhibition 'Race and Class in Contemporary Ireland' (2026), which uses layered photomontages combining poetry, texture, and found imagery to explore the everyday experiences of the Nigerian diaspora in County Kildare. In an interview with ART AFRICA, Oluokun explains how collage allows her to suggest rather than prescribe, using humour and intimate domestic scenes—such as parents applying vaseline or diluting off-brand washing-up liquid—to humanize larger themes of migration, identity, race, and class.
The interview matters because it highlights how a contemporary visual artist is reframing narratives around Black diasporic life in Ireland through a medium that prioritizes subtlety and insider perspective. Oluokun's approach challenges the tendency to over-explain Black art for non-Black audiences, instead creating work where Black viewers are 'in on the joke.' This conversation contributes to broader cultural discourse on migration, belonging, and the role of personal storytelling in addressing systemic issues.