Olanma (Priceless Jewel)

Olama (Priceless Joy) is a mixed media work on canvas that portrays a father holding his newborn daughter for the first time, conveying tenderness, pride, and quiet joy. The scene is enclosed within a circular form outlined with hand-stitched cowries and beads, set against a dark surrounding field that creates a sacred, contained space. Cowries and beads evoke heritage, spirituality, and cultural continuity, grounding the work in ancestral memory and identity. Within the circle, ancestral heads quietly observe the moment, symbolizing lineage and blessing over new life. The work frames fatherhood as both emotional and spiritual awakening, where joy becomes inheritance, connection, and continuity across generations.