Temi Wynston Edun

20 September 2022

Edun argues that ‘nothing tells the story of humanity like the human face’ which is why he finds himself constantly drawn to portraiture, working with oil sticks on canvas to develop abstract representations of such. His focus remains on Black and African figures found in ‘undefined space’ which serves to ‘accentuate the idea of the individual pursuit of dignity’ against the tension of the subject’s surrounding societies. It is these tensions, whether they be social, political, religious or historical that generate the ‘emotive aura’ that comes from his portraits. Edun uses his own experience of being Black in America and being of African descent to create an ‘introspective perspective’ that addresses themes of resiliency and survival. It is this introspection that offers his work such a sense of authenticity.