7Beauties, Unique Contemporary Painting by Akanji Bolaji (2024). Acrylic on Canvas

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Description

7Beauties is a reflective portrait that explores beauty as something deeply connected to
heritage, memory, and identity. The work presents … Read more 7Beauties is a reflective portrait that explores beauty as something deeply connected to
heritage, memory, and identity. The work presents beauty not as perfection, but as a cultural
inheritance shaped by history, dignity, and personal experience.
The long layered adornment around the figure recalls traditional beads, cowries, and ceremonial
textiles found across African cultures. These elements symbolize ancestry, lineage, and shared
memory. The colors also carry meaning: turquoise represents spirituality and protection, pink
and violet suggest tenderness and transformation, while green reflects nature, growth, and
continuity.
The floating symbols and playful elements create a dreamlike atmosphere inspired by childhood
experiences, representing freedom and hope. A soft halo above the figure gives the subject a
spiritual presence, portraying her as a keeper of inherited stories and cultural memory.
Through symbolism, color, and form, 7Beauties presents identity as something living, resilient,
and deeply personal- something carried, protected, and passed on through generations.

Akanji Bolaji,
7Beauties, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
23 × 47 × 1 in
Unique work
Includes a Certificate of Authenticity
Shipping Procedure
Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria
This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy.
Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gallery) See less