Okey Ofomata’s work reflects life’s complexities by exploring everyday moments and the choices people make under pressure or shaped by upbringing. Instead of directly confronting ideas, he places familiar concepts in contrasting yet connected contexts, encouraging fresh perspectives. Influenced by framing in film, photography, and media, Ofomata carefully balances forms, colors, and negative space to create a visual language that invites deeper engagement and layered interpretation. His art satirizes popular culture, exposing the anxiety and disorientation it often causes. It challenges the notion that the “democratization” of culture and media has erased systemic power imbalances, revealing persistent inequalities beneath the surface. Ofomata’s practice also critiques ongoing culture wars, which aim to preserve existing norms and block new value systems. He examines how ‘cancellation’—the marginalization of certain figures and trends—serves as cultural self-preservation. At the same time, he asks whether these erased elements can be reclaimed to better understand and map the present moment. ...
Harlesden High Street was founded with the mission of facilitating access between experimental/outsider artists and the traditional gallery system. Working across several spaces in London, the gallery exhibits contemporary art by both local and international artists with a focus on exhibiting work by people of colour. In addition to its gallery programme, Harlesden High Street also hosts a cultural outreach programme with an aim to engage audiences in un-gentrified neighborhoods, through workshops, talks and artist initiatives. In 2023, the gallery also co-founded Minor Attractions, an inclusive micro-fair that gives access to both London and international galleries during Frieze week. ...
