ABOUT
GRAPHIC DESIGN
PAINTING
PRINT MEDIA & PHOTOGRAPHY
SCULPTURE
VISUAL NARRATIVE

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www.lindaobobaifo.com
she/her

Linda Obobaifo

My sculptural and collaged paintings explore the roles of women and domesticity through identity and collective histories. Through the layering of material and images, I conceal and reveal information to address the effects of perception and memory, particularly when they become distorted over time. I am interested in how public and private spaces inform the way we portray ourselves and our identities. 

Lace is a material and symbol for femininity, which I incorporate into my work. I question its historical significance and how its meaning has changed over time. Lace evokes nostalgic memories of life-changing occasions, from celebrating a Christening or joyous wedding to mourning a loved one. I am also interested in the formal properties of lace, particularly how it can simultaneously reveal and conceal the body. I use this as a metaphor for hiding, masking, and choosing to unveil some truths to the public eye while keeping the viewer out of reach.

I create distance between the viewer and the artist through the materiality of the oil and acrylic paintings, using lace, chiffon, tulle, crystal organza, and plexiglass to show how memories can be distant and come in and out of view. Additionally, I question how the lines of girlhood and womanhood blur, become intertwined, and even forced. Each painting can be read as a form of poetry, which is coupled with my writing. I pair my paintings alongside my poetry to create a dialogue of secrets being revealed between each piece. My poems and paintings have become a coded language, serving as both a boundary and blanket of protection. My use of photography helps me consider the preservation of memory, the duration and passing of time, and the overlap of past and present. I think about time, labor, and windows as being mirrors reflecting into our private lives.
Browned Histories of Women Tied into Breeding America’s Lost Child—Dressed in Beads and Jute Twine, 2023.
Acrylic, oil, lace, chiffon, microsuede, jute twine, beads, and chicken wire on canvas, 48 × 60 in.
Swimming in a Pool Full of Honey’s Lies (An American Film), 2023.
Acrylic, oil, lace, carpet, chiffon, plexiglass, jeans, jute twine, and chicken wire on linen, 84 × 96 in.
Fatigued Facade, 2023.
Oil, acrylic, cotton, linen, string,
and lace on canvas, 48 × 60 in.
If You Were Gazing Through My Memories (In Lilac and Pink), 2023.
Acrylic, oil, jute twine, lace, silk, tulle, crystal organza, and pins on canvas, 84 × 96 in.
Everything Comes Full Circle, 2023.
Oil, acrylic, jogger pants, linen, lace, string,
and jeans on canvas, 48 × 60 in.