Nine years after, Yusuf Durodola, artist and founder, Artegun Foundation, made a big return to the Belgian Ambassador’s residence on 54 Mississippi Street, Maitama, Abuja for another artistic celebration. This time, it was not a performance, but a solo exhibition tagged New Gaze, which run from July 9 to 26.
The exhibition, which brought together captains of the visual arts industry, artists, curators, gallerists, collectors, diplomats, academics, stakeholders and enthusiasts featured works such as Behind the Veil (Ewa series), The Journey Within (The dreamer series), Moment of Reflection, Gaze Beyond Confinement, What the Shadow Holds?, Meditation, Ayọka, Beauty Within, and Sisi Oge. The body of works collectively examines the spaces between appearance and essence, while inviting viewers to question what lies beyond the physical, reminding them that true beauty, identity, wisdom and purpose often exist beyond immediate visibility. The works present portraiture as a space of ‘reflection rather than mere representation. Each face becomes a visual conversation, revealing that identity is not fixed but continuously shaped through experience, relationships, choices, and the environments we inhabit.’
According to the curator of the exhibition, Katurag Chinyio, New Gaze is an invitation to embrace a different way of seeing. “It reminds us that every individual is navigating visible and invisible landscapes, carrying stories that cannot be understood at a glance. These paintings encourage us to look beyond appearances, beyond assumptions, and beyond the familiar, revealing that the most profound journeys are not measured by distance, but by the ways we learn, adapt, connect, and become,” she said in a statement in the exhibition brochure.
At the core of the collection lies the belief that perception is the mind’s navigational tool in negotiating the presence of our reality. To the artists, reality is never experienced through sight alone, it is ‘shaped by our memories, beliefs, emotions, culture, and imagination. Consequently, every viewer enters the exhibition carrying a unique perspective, and every encounter with a painting becomes a personal negotiation between what is seen and what is understood.’
But, the creative process leading to the works unfolds in three interconnected stages as every work begins with an abstract foundation where spontaneous gestures, layered colours, textures and expressive movements establish an emotional landscape.
“This first stage represents the invisible terrain of thought and intuition, where ideas exist before they assume recognizable form. The abstraction becomes the psychological space from which every visual narrative is born.
“The second stage introduces the figurative image. Rather than imposing the portrait upon the canvas, the figure gradually emerges from within the abstract environment, reflecting the way human identity develops through accumulated experiences rather than outward appearance alone. Every individual carries an internal geography that cannot be seen by the eye but is revealed through lived experience.
“The final stage is one of detailing and refinement. Here, every highlight, contour, texture, and subtle intervention strengthens the dialogue between abstraction and representation. The details do not merely complete the painting; they reveal its philosophy. Just as perception becomes clearer through continuous reflection, the artwork reaches its fullest expression through careful observation and thoughtful execution,” Durodola explained.
For instance, in Beauty Within II, the artist celebrates the truth that the deepest beauty of a person is not found in physical appearance but in character. While the face and body may capture attention, it is our thoughts, emotions, values, and gestures that reveal who we truly are. Inner beauty naturally radiates through our words, actions, and the way we relate to others, giving meaning to every outward expression. The painting invites viewers to look beyond surface attraction and discover the beauty that shapes identity from within. The layered colours and cartographic elements symbolize the invisible paths that form one’s character, reminding us that genuine beauty is measured not by appearance but by the integrity, compassion, and authenticity that define our humanity.
But, for The Journey Within II, Durodola explores the unseen landscapes of the human mind. Beyond the physical movement through space, thoughts continually travel into invisible realms where imagination, memory, dreams, and reflection unfold. Though no one can fully witness these inner journeys, each of us can visualize places, possibilities, and experiences without ever being physically present. It is within this silent dialogue with oneself that ideas are born and purpose begins to take shape.
In Ayọka I, dreaming is presented as the beginning of every creative achievement. Every invention, artwork, or social transformation first exists in the imagination before becoming reality. This idea is reinforced by Meditation II, where silence is presented as a space for clarity and self-discovery. Together, these works suggest that creativity grows through reflection, patience, and thoughtful observation.
Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria,Mr. Pieter Leenknegt hinted that it was not the first time the light dome of the Belgian House will be hosting art activities, recalling that Durodola had staged a performance on the same premises nine years ago. “Diplomats come and go, their memories leave with their suitcases – nous ne sommes que des passagers – but art remains and so does taste,” he added.