Lead Curator
Àṣà Wa—Our Culture in Art
Aafin Ilu Art and Culture Centre
Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
Group art and cultural exhibition
Vivian BunmiAfolabi.
Curator
& Photographer
Growing Again
Old cooking pots, new growth. A photographic study of reuse, resilience and what remains useful.
Collection 02
A Different Light
Collection 01
Growing Again
Growing Again began with old cooking pots. Darkened by fire, scratched and worn until they could no longer cook. But many are not thrown away. They find a new place in the compound, filled with soil, planted with something green.
I photographed them where they sit. Beside walls, under trees, along verandas. I let the rust and fire marks stay visible because they are part of the story. Against these worn surfaces, fresh leaves keep growing. One speaks of years lived. The other speaks of something still becoming.
As I kept photographing, I realized this work was about more than reuse. It was about what happens when something can no longer do what it was made for. We assume its usefulness has ended. But these pots show another way. They carry their history openly and still make room for something new.
I think about that in my own life. There are seasons when the things that once defined us no longer fit. That does not mean nothing meaningful can follow. Growth does not always mean going back to who we were. Sometimes we carry the evidence of where we have been into whatever comes next.
The fire marks remain. The dents remain. But something is growing from them.
Sometimes growth begins inside something we had already decided was finished.
Collection 02
A Different Light
A Different Light started with glass bottles people had thrown away. Once the drink is gone, we push them aside and forget them.
But I imagined them becoming lamps. Something that once held drink now gives light.
I photographed bottles of different colours and conditions. Green, clear, blue, brown. Some clean, some scratched. The lamps are handmade, a little uneven. I kept them in real spaces. Worn walls. Old tables. Quiet corners.
As I kept working, this became less about bottles and more about how we see things. The bottle does not hide its past. You can still see its shape, its scratches. Nothing pretends it was always a lamp.
And yet, it gives light.
There are seasons when the things that once defined us no longer fit. That does not mean nothing good can follow. We do not have to erase where we have been to become something new.
Sometimes the thing we stopped noticing can still light up a room. We just need to see it differently.
Collection 03
Reflections of Growth
Three photographs
Reflections of Growth is a body of work born from my fascination with the quiet conversations between nature and water. Through reflections, I explore the idea that growth is not only seen in what rises above the surface, but also in what is revealed when we pause to look deeper. Each image captures an ordinary plant mirrored in rainwater, inviting us to see beauty in places that are often overlooked.
For me, these reflections are more than visual effects—they are metaphors for life. They remind me that every season of struggle, stillness, and renewal leaves a mark on who we become. Just as a puddle reflects a flower after the rain, our experiences reflect the strength, hope, and resilience we carry within us. The plants thrive in unexpected places, quietly teaching that growth is possible even in the harshest environments.
This series is also deeply personal. It reflects the way I have learned to find meaning in simple moments and to appreciate the quiet resilience that surrounds us every day. Through these photographs, I hope viewers will slow down, look beyond the obvious, and discover that beauty, hope, and transformation often reveal themselves in life's smallest details. Reflections of Growth is an invitation to see not only nature reflected in water, but perhaps a part of ourselves reflected within it.
A small plant rises from the edge of a rain-soaked street, quietly reminding us that life can flourish even in the most unexpected places. Bathed in the warm light after the rain, this image speaks of hope, resilience, and the quiet strength found in everyday moments. It is a reminder that growth is not determined by where we begin, but by our willingness to keep reaching for the light. Even in overlooked places, nature reveals that every new day carries the promise of renewal.
In Bloom celebrates the quiet beauty of growth and renewal. Resting gently on a rain-soaked surface, the flower and its reflection become a symbol of hope, reminding us that even after life's storms, beauty continues to emerge.
The soft light and calm reflection create a peaceful atmosphere, inviting the viewer to pause and appreciate the simple moments that often go unnoticed. This work reflects the resilience of nature and the grace found in stillness, where even the smallest bloom can tell a powerful story.
Peace After Rain captures the quiet stillness that follows the passing of a storm. The reflection of a single flower resting on the water reminds us that beauty often reveals itself in moments of calm, after the chaos has faded.
The soft light and gentle ripples create a sense of balance, inviting the viewer to slow down and appreciate nature's quiet resilience. It is a simple reminder that after every storm comes a moment to breathe, heal, and begin again.
From the exhibition archive
On the
programme.
A selection of exhibition fliers from Vivian’s curatorial and photographic practice. Select a poster to view it in full.
View full poster ↗Àṣà Wa — Our Culture in Art
Aafin Ilu Art and Culture Centre · Ede, Osun State
View full poster ↗The Shape of Living
Ara Studio, Lagos & Red19 Hub, Derby
View full poster ↗Different Angles
El Carver Arts Gallery · Osogbo
View full poster ↗Reflection
Abulente Art Gallery · Osun State
Selected curatorial projects and gallery exhibitions
2026
2025
Exhibiting artist
Idubor Arts Gallery
Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria
Exhibiting artist
Didi Museum
Lagos, Nigeria
Exhibiting artist
PeterFleming Art
Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria
2024
Lead Curator
The Shape of Living
Ara Studio National Gallery
Lagos, Nigeria / Derby, UK
Dual-location group exhibition in collaboration with Red 19 Global, Derby, UK
Exhibiting artist
Galleria Continua
San Gimignano, Italy
2023
Lead curator
Omenka Gallery
Lagos, Nigeria
Lead curator
Different Angles
El Carver Art Gallery
Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria
Visual group art exhibition
Exhibiting artist
Nubuke Foundation
Accra, Ghana
Exhibiting artist
Pace Gallery
New York, United States
2022
Exhibiting artist
Stories We Keep
El Carver Art Gallery
Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria
Mixed Media Exhibition
Exhibiting artist
Abulente Art and Cultural Centre
Osun State, Nigeria
Commissioned group art exhibition
Exhibiting artist
Africa Palette
Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
2021
Curatorial Assistant
SMAC Gallery
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Group exhibition
Exhibiting artist
doual’art
Douala, Cameroon
2020
Curatorial Assistant
Angels & Muse Art Space
Lagos, Nigeria
Group exhibition
2019
Exhibiting artist
Zeitz MOCAA
Cape Town, South Africa
Curatorial Assistant
Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (MACAAL)
Marrakech, Morocco
2016–2022
Studio training
& art education
Selected courses, photography workshops, mentorship and professional development.
- 2022
Photography training and professional development
Nigeria Photography Expo and Conference (NiPHEC) / Nigeria
- 2019
Photography workshops
Fotofactory Lagos / Lagos
- 2018
Photography, peer exchange and mentorship
Alexis Galleries / Victoria Island, Lagos
- 2017–2018
Photography workshops covering project development, visual storytelling and analogue photography
The Nlele Institute / Lagos
- 2016
Conventional Art Courses
Rele’s Young Contemporaries Programme / Lagos
A conversation starts here
Ask Vivian.
Have a question about a photograph, a collection, or curatorial work?
- vivianmatt34@gmail.com
- Telephone
- +2347068816052