Ibadan Raised, NYC Made stands as a checkpoint — a milestone marking 5 years of my career. This exhibition was never meant to be just another showcase of my work; it was my way of telling my story of origin. Instead of simply presenting visuals, I wanted to deliver an eulogy to the place that raised me, Ibadan — the city that instilled discipline, rooted me in culture, and shaped the foundation of the artist and storyteller I’ve become.

The Ibadan Raised, NYC Made exhibition is a multi-sensory experience that explores the journey of identity, heritage, and transformation. It tells the story of how Ibadan’s essence shaped me, and how NYC refined my creative expression.

This exhibition fuses fashion, photography, film, and installation art to create an immersive narrative that connects past and present, tradition and modernity, Africa and the diaspora.

At its core, the exhibition challenges the idea of displacement—showing how one can be deeply rooted in their origins while evolving in new spaces.

- Olajide Alabi