AMAH Studio, a new creative space in Lagos founded by Daniel Obasi, honoured International Women's Month by welcoming its first artist in resident, Fiyin Koko. The fast-emerging multimedia artist has quickly established a reputation for crafting intimate portraits of Black womanhood that defy expectations. And inspired by the grandeur of AMAH’s sunlit penthouse, Koko has crafted her most ambitious project yet. Her exhibition ‘For Us and of Us’ was an active gathering and weaving of female stories, conversation and unheralded joy through photography, painting and sculpture.

Grounded by the central pillars of body positivity, love, movement and femininity, Koko examines complex personal and social issues with a surreal playfulness. There is an intent in her style that brings the viewer in and awakens their capacity to dream. Viewing the central painting in the show, ‘Somewhere in Between’, it’s impossible to not be catapulted into Koko’s vivid world. The artist spent much of her residency working on the near 40ft-long acrylic on canvas work, which is largely based on her photographic documentation of women over the past four years. She also invited 17 of these women to become active co-authors as they deposit touches of their stories onto the canvas. What emerges is a living archive of womanhood - fluid, collective and defiantly carefree. We caught up with Koko to reflect on the fruits of her month-long residency.

Congratulations on your AMAH residency and exhibition. What has been the best thing to come out of it?

I think it would be not feeling limited in a lot of ways. I have all these big dreams I want to achieve with my work and sometimes, because of lack of space, it feels a bit limited. But being in AMAH has allowed me to think in a broader way. I don’t feel like I’m in a box or have to do the things I normally do, so it’s been terrific.

Did being in this larger space affect your artistic process?

Yes, it brought a lot of light and lightness to my work. Usually, I work alone in my studio at night but here I had to go in every morning and work with a team. It was nice hearing them talk about the work and ask questions. I know where I was at different points on the piece because people would come over and I’d bounce ideas off them. So, being in an open space brought a lot of liveliness to the piece. I felt very supported at AMAH and there was a great spirit of collaboration.

What can you tell us about the genesis of ‘Somewhere In Between’?

Every time I go to a different city or place, I take pictures of women. For me, it’s doing something to make them feel good; a kind of service. My photo sessions are very intimate; I really want to get to know them. It’s not about responsibilities like, “Oh, I have five children.” No, it's just about them – What do you like to do? What did you enjoy as a child? Did you like to swim? That brings out their real smile and it's refreshing to me. So, for this work, I knew I wanted to do something on feminine bodies, put all of these images from the past four or five years on my moodboard at AMAH, and the energy from that evoked a different energy for this piece.

What did it take to bring such a monumental painting to life?

Before I started, I took a mini-break to recalibrate because this was my first residency and I didn't know what to expect. But I had desired outcomes and I knew I had to work fast and trust the process. Physically, I've never worked like that before. I had to use my whole body – lying down, sitting, bending. I was working on the floor most of the time so it was very tasking but I enjoyed it. Spiritually, I was praying a lot more. It was a lot of emotions. There were days where I would be so tired and burnt out. Sometimes I worked seven hours without breaks. Other days, I’d come in, talk, rest, then start at 2pm. It showed me that I could show up every day.

How did you balance your own vision with making room for others to leave their own imprint on the work?

At first, I wanted the painting to be 15ft long. But AMAH is huge, so we were rolling out the canvas until we got to 37.8ft. I was scared but just started with my original sketch and every day was just like, let me add this, let me add that. I titled the project ‘For Us and Of Us’ because I wanted it to feel like women created this. And so I hosted a fun brunch for International Women’s Day where everyone was invited to an open studio and it all happened organically. Even my mom came and touched the painting. It felt sacred.

How did you arrive at the title ‘Somewhere In Between’?

I have very vivid dreams and I sometimes paint what they look like. What this piece ended up looking like is an in-road to one of my dreams. ‘Somewhere in Between’ speaks to a dream world - where you’re half awake, half asleep, you’re not quite at each end, you’re in the middle. I wanted the title to sound like a place people could go.

How has your exploration of African femininity evolved over time?

From day one, I knew I wanted my art to represent women. In college, I took classes on feminism and womanism. And my mom and I have a breast cancer awareness foundation. It also stems from the fact that I used to see all these paintings and sculptures of African women, and it was always the same narrative; they’re cooking, carrying children. I thought, how come this is still how we see women in Africa? So, I wanted to add fantasy to what we see. The women were usually dancing, or at rest and smiling, and that has blossomed. Now I explore deeper issues and there’s a social responsibility in my work. It’s become a kind of artivism, which I really love.

What can you tell us about your artistic background and embrace of multiple mediums in your practice?

I was kind of a gifted child. My mum is an artist, so I learned a lot from her. I was always painting and doodling. In January 2020, I decided that this is what I want to do and turned my room into a studio. Then I was visiting the US when lockdown came so I was stuck and started drawing sketches on my phone with a stylus. I went on to teach myself digital design illustration and that became the foundation for a lot of my work. I’d have a dream or idea and I’d start illustrating it, then see how it could exist in different forms. I also always knew I would do sculpture someday, and there came a point where I really wanted to touch my work. Touch serves as the final frontier of the human experience; we always want to touch to solidify whatever we're thinking. So, I went to a clay workshop and my teacher asked if I’d done it before. I said no but that my forefathers were sculptors, so I knew that it was in my bloodline. That experience opened the door to adding sculpture to my practice.

You’re part of an exciting wave of young Nigerian female artists. Where do you see the scene going next?

Other than my mom’s influence, a big part of me doing art is because of Peju Alatise, whose work is about the girl child and women. During my self-discovery phase, I went to her exhibition and was really moved. I was like, this is my ethos. I love my journey but sometimes I wonder, would I have started sooner if I’d had more examples growing up? How many young girls don’t have the opportunity to be creative because there's no representation? So, I feel like it’s exciting to know that what I do is - by God’s grace - inspiring other women. In the future, I really want to have an art academy for girls. It’s important for me to be able to give more room for girls to continue to be themselves, discover themselves and aspire to be great artists.