By Sophia Afolayan
FiyinKoko’s work lives in the space between observation and imagination. A multidisciplinary artist working across photography, illustration, ceramics, and more, she brings a fluidity to her practice that reflects a deep curiosity about the world as it is and as it could be.
In a recent interview, FiyinKoko shared insight into the relationship between her different mediums. “I get excited by all the mediums I work with,” she starts off. Photography, in particular, plays a foundational role. “It helps me capture real life, body language, and intimate moments. It’s actually the first layer I build on when creating a painting or illustration.”
This layered approach is evident in her visual archives, especially through @kokokhrome and @omokoko.studio.
“@kokokhrome is like a living archive, it’s where I document real moments, especially of women, textures, and emotions. It’s very observational and rooted in reality. My photography there often feeds into my other practices. It’s honestly like my visual library. @omokoko.studio, on the other hand, is my playground for imagination. That’s where the dreamier, more illustrative side of my mind gets to exist. Balancing both is natural because they represent two sides of the same coin: observing the world as it is, and dreaming about how it could be. I love that they still constantly feed into each other, keeping my practice very open.”
Her recent collaboration with Amah Studios, titled For Us and Of Us (FUOU), gave her the opportunity to merge these two impulses on a larger scale. The centrepiece of that experience was Somewhere in Between, a 40-foot acrylic painting which is her largest work yet. Built from years of photographic archives, especially portraits of women, the piece invited both reflection and participation. “I wanted people to move through it, to live inside my head for a moment,” she shares. “It wasn’t just about them. It was made with them.”
The experience reshaped her relationship to scale, community, and process. “It reminded me how important it is for artists to have environments that encourage expansion,” she noted. “We need more spaces like that – where artists can just exist, imagine, and build freely.”
She talks about the execution of her art and how the physicality of this project opened her horizons wider. “The physical space at Amah, especially the large, open walls, allowed me to dream bigger than I normally would. It reminded me how important it is for artists to have environments that encourage that kind of expansion. We definitely need more spaces like this where artists can just exist, imagine, and build freely.”
Her art is conscious of its consumers, too. She talks about the launch of this project with the audience to make this known. “With the work titled Somewhere In Between, I think people can expect to feel transported—it’s not just about viewing the work, it’s about entering into a whole new world, my world. It’s deeply vulnerable, and I love that there are so many ways you can connect with art and the different parts of it.”
Fashion, too, is an important part of how FiyinKoko expresses her ideas. Her collaboration with Nigerian fashion house Desirée Iyama reflects a broader belief that clothing, like art, tells stories. “I often pair my outfits with my artwork, sometimes matching, sometimes complementing the pieces at my exhibitions.” She’s intentional about working with brands that centre body positivity. “I love showing that women like me can have fun with fashion too.”
Her playful approach to accessories (especially statement earrings) has become a signature. “My mom would see some of my earrings and say, ‘Oga ju! It’s only an artist that would wear this!’”
This sensibility helped inspire @VRSNGE, short for Artist Style at the Vernissage, a platform she created to spotlight visual artists who embrace fashion as part of their creative expression. “There’s a stereotype that artists have to look unkempt to be taken seriously. I love pushing against that.”
Beyond the art and style worlds, FiyinKoko’s creativity extends into community building. At LakeBooneCCF, a breast cancer awareness NGO founded by her mother, she plays an active role in creating events for survivors and facilitating outreach. “It’s a way for me to give back and stay connected to real life outside of the art world.”
Her bio often includes the phrase “vivid blue dreams,” a reference to both the spiritual tone of her work and her personal experiences. “Most of my dreams have some kind of blue filter over them,” she explains. Over time, this surreal blue has become a consistent thread in her visual storytelling, one that bridges the natural and the fantastical.
Cultural heritage also shapes her work. With roots in Ogun and Osun States, both Yoruba-speaking regions, FiyinKoko draws inspiration from Yoruba mythology, language, and nature-based symbolism. “I do a lot of research into what it really means to be a Yoruba woman, not just what I grew up knowing.”. Her upbringing in Eastern Nigeria also gave her a broader view of cultural expression. “It opened me up to different ways of seeing and understanding the world.”
Though she works across multiple disciplines, the process remains deeply intuitive. “It takes a lot of mental energy to stay grounded and not feel overwhelmed,” she admits. “But working across mediums is how I grow.” Taking breaks, shifting between formats, and staying playful help her avoid burnout.
When asked what advice she might offer emerging African artists, her response is grounded and open-ended: “Don’t rush to define everything. Try different things and pay attention to what feels most natural. Over time, your voice will start to show itself across everything you do.”
For FiyinKoko, music often sets the mood for creating. If her practice had a soundtrack, it would include songs like “All of This” by Jorja Smith featuring GuiltyBeatz. “It has this soft, emotional groove with Afro and South African house influences- my favourite genres.”
Even small, unexpected moments have sparked her imagination. “One time, a bug with tiny blue lines landed on my finger while I was in an Uber. I got so fascinated by it that I rushed home and painted a piece imagining what it would feel like to be bitten by that blue bug.”
As for what’s next, she dreams of a residency in Brazil, somewhere close to the ocean, rich with colour, and far from pressure. “It would need to be longer than three months,” she said. “Just to really settle in, create at a natural pace, and let the environment fully influence the work.”
FiyinKoko’s art is nothing short of a revelation, and even the most eager eyes are not ready for what else she has in store.
