The Stories We Tell Ourselves: Three Artists Reflect on Identity, Place, and Connection

In recent years, Lagos’ contemporary art scene has expanded with shows that explore the intricacies of ordinary life and personal experience. One such moment of reflection occurred during “The Story We Tell Ourselves (About the World),” a collaborative exhibition held at Polygon Space VI from November 23 to 24, 2024.

The show, which featured pieces by David James Udoh, Akachi Ogbonna, and Tejumola Animashaun, encouraged spectators to investigate how personal narratives generated by memory, environment, and relationships influence how people understand their surroundings. Despite working in various mediums and thematic approaches, the three artists provided perspectives that intersected around the concept of storytelling: the stories we inherit, create, and live by.

Among the exhibition’s highlights were Tejumola Animashaun’s digital illustrations, which explore issues such as womanhood, family memory, and self-definition. Her piece “Damaged Goods” is a contemplative critique on social expectations of perfection. Rather than seeking to correct or cover imperfections, the art promotes imperfection as something to be valued, implying that perceived flaws may have their own quiet beauty.

The painting “Ọmọléré,” inspired by a grandmother’s tattoo, explores generational identity and the cultural significance of motherhood and womanhood. While the art acknowledges these inherited norms, it also raises subtle questions about the expectations placed on women to conform to prescribed roles. Animashaun continues her exploration with “Durosola,” a dedication to her mother. The name, which translates as “stay and flourish,” becomes a metaphor for resilience and endurance. In “Small Wins,” the artist switches the focus to everyday survival, promoting appreciation of the minor but significant achievements that frequently go undetected.

The third work in the sequence, “Gbo Gbo Èrò,” critiques cultural structures that define gender through rigorous expectations. The work opposes these restrictions by calling for individuality and self-determination. Animashaun’s images form a meaningful reflection on identity, grounded in personal experience but universally applicable.

While Animashaun’s work looks within, photographer David James Udoh focuses on the city itself. His picture series investigates the typography of house numbers in Lagos areas, viewing them as cultural artefacts rather than conventional urban indicators. Udoh’s works, including “Number 9, Ikeja,” “Number 13, Ikeja,” “Number 14, Yaba,” “Number 28, Yaba,” and “Number 81, Ikeja,” depict the many numbering schemes found on residential structures.

Each number was presented not simply as documentation but as a fragment of visual heritage- evidence of how local artisans, painters, and homeowners have unconsciously shaped a vernacular design language over time

In a fast modernising urban scene where standardised signage is progressively replacing these distinct expressions, Udoh’s images serve as an informal archive of everyday visual culture. By isolating and presenting the findings as distinct pieces, the artist challenges viewers to evaluate the often-overlooked aspects that characterise a place.

Digital illustrator Akachi Ogbonna tackles storytelling via the perspective of relationships, with a special emphasis on the changing nature of friendship. Her piece “Long Distance” depicts the emotional strain that physical separation can put on friendships, emphasising the effort required to sustain meaningful connections across long distance. In “Friendship Limbo,” Ogbonna depicts the delicate stage of developing new connections – a period of ambiguity during which trust, familiarity, and shared understanding gradually emerge. Another work, “With Self,” turns the discourse inward and emphasises the value of self-companionship. The research implies that learning to be at ease with oneself is an important aspect of developing healthy connections with others.

Meanwhile, “Friend Trips” and “Moments With Friends” honour the modest rituals that gradually cement friendships – shared experiences, talks, and ordinary moments that gently deepen emotional relationships. Through these works, Ogbonna emphasises friendship as an important but often overlooked aspect of human existence.

What finally defines “The Story We Tell Ourselves (About the World)” is the interaction between the three artistic approaches. While Animashaun delves into the interior terrains of identity and memory, Udoh focuses on the city’s visual landscape, and Ogbonna investigates the emotional networks that support daily existence.

Together, their works imply that personal narratives are not isolated experiences, but rather interwoven reflections of larger social realities. In a city where life moves swiftly and public spaces are always changing, the exhibition provided an opportunity for visitors to pause and think – not only on the artworks themselves, but also on the tales that define how people perceive their neighbourhoods and themselves.

By combining themes of identity, locality, and connection, the exhibition demonstrated how contemporary artists continue to interact with the daily realities of modern Nigerian society, utilising visual language to spark discussions about the experiences that define our common world