Oil on quilted canvas
36 x 42 inches
2026
ABOUT THE PIECE
A striking portrait capturing the quiet, transformative power of self-discovery and heritage.
Layered with stitched geometric tiles, the artwork weaves together intimate daily routines—grooming, writing, and intellectual grounding through celebrated literature by Adichie and Achebe—framing self-actualization as a deliberate, crafted tapestry.
The Ritual of Becoming directly intersects with Incongru’s mission to examine the conditions that shape human lives and the freedom to author them. In this painting, self-definition is presented not as a passive inheritance, but as an active, deliberate process rooted in interiority, study, and quiet contemplation.
The layered, stitched canvas panels physically mirror the “conditions that shape human lives.” The stitched grid represents the societal frameworks, structural realities, and historical fragments that constrain or define an individual.
Rather than allowing these fragments to dictate her reality, the subject sits at the center of the modular surface, actively piecing together her narrative.
The act of grooming, writing, and reading within this stitched framework visually captures how selfhood is constructed piece by piece despite external limitations.
Detail view of The Ritual of Becoming featuring stacked texts by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Chinua Achebe.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Amidu Samson Tobiloba is a Nigerian visual artist born in Ogun State and currently based in Lagos. He obtained his National Diploma in Fine Art from Yaba College of Technology, completed an industrial training residency at Olokun Art Studio, and earned his Higher National Diploma specializing in painting at Yaba College of Technology.
Through an Impressionistic approach, Tobiloba’s practice explores the richness and complexity of the Black experience, highlighting the beauty of dark-skinned subjects and the intricate emotional landscapes they navigate. His work examines human emotion through quiet scenes of leisure, personal reflection, and moral engagement.