Wá wò ó, 2023 | Virtual Reality x Mixed Media

Materials (Plaster and found objects, fabrics, metal wires, kankan sponge fibres and mirrors)

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Wá wò ó means ‘come and see’ in my Yoruba language. It was chosen as a project title to convey sarcastic and playful expressions of the overwhelm and physical disorientation I experienced during my first few sessions of navigating immersive virtual reality technology at the start of my Spot VR residency at Stryx Gallery, Birmingham which was held between September and November 2023.

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Wá wò ó began with experimentation between the creation of free-form digital drawings in dark voids of space with the VR software ‘Open Brush and Gravity Sketch’, the creation of augmented reality 3D models of physical sculptures from ‘In Own Image (2019)’; and further productions of physical sculptures which mimicked structural attributes and sensibilities portrayed within the textural and aesthetic attributes of some of my earlier made digital VR drawings from September like ‘Purple Infinity (2023)’.

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The end parallels between both modes of creation in the virtual and physical realm led me to observe the projection of subjects from my mental and muscle memory, identity and tactile experiences translated as expressions of making and being. Where even play was made manifest through concepts, tactical imprints of textures and the assemblage of material bodies through drawing and moulding techniques into intangible and physical expressions that explore materiality in the virtual and physical realm. Such as my sculpture and installation work in materials plaster, metal and fabric, like ‘Untitled series, Plaster on board (2023), KanKan, Metal wire, (2023) and Untitled, Fabric drawing on wall, (2023).’

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