Constance and Sons Stages Aimasiko at Ibadan’s National Museum
The halls of the National Museum of Unity, Ibadan, recently came alive with colour, reflection, and cultural wisdom as Constance and Sons Gallery, led by Dunmade Ayegbayo, successfully concluded its much-anticipated exhibition, Aimasiko: Ignorance of Divine Timing.
The exhibition, held from August 24th to August 30th, 2025, presented an extraordinary collection of 98 thought-provoking works by 22 artists.
The participating artists including: Damola Ayegbayo, Tosin Oyeniyi, Olumide Ajayi, Elijah Olanase, Roseleen Labazacchy, Alawaye Tope, Adebayo Taiwo, Oyeleye Feranmi, Omoyeni Arogunmati, Abiodun Nafiu, Olaosun Oluwapelumi, Taiwo Odejinmi, Gobe Joseph, Oluwafemi Afolabi, Joshua Salami, Eyitayo Alagbe, Obeka Simon, Oluwaseun Ojebiyi, Bakare Abubakri-Sideeq, and Meshach Charity, captivated audiences with works that explored the Yoruba philosophy of Aimasiko: the unease that comes when mortals fail to recognize or embrace divine timing.
At its heart, the exhibition became a dialogue between tradition and contemporary reality. Through canvases rich in colour, symbolism, and emotion, the artists wrestled with the universal tension between human impatience and the unseen rhythm of destiny. A Yoruba proverb, “Adániwáyè ò gbàgbé ẹnìkan; àìmàsìkò ló ńdààmú ẹ̀dá” — “The Creator forgets no one; it is ignorance of divine timing that troubles mortals” served as the spiritual thread weaving the showcase together.
Reflecting on the project, gallery founder Dunmade Ayegbayo described the exhibition as a deeply personal and collective journey: “Every artist has wrestled with seasons of waiting, uncertainty, and longing. Aimasiko was not only about art; it was about the shared human story, our struggles with delay, our yearning for fulfilment, and our faith in a timing greater than ours.”
Mrs. Oriyomi Pamela Otuka, Deputy Director and Station Curator of the National Museum of Unity, whose curatorial expertise gave the works coherence and accessibility, curated the exhibition. She noted that Aimasiko offered visitors “a reminder of patience, resilience, and trust in life’s unfolding, lessons as vital today as they were for generations past.”
Though the doors of the exhibition have now closed, Aimasikohas left behind a resonant legacy. It challenged visitors to reflect on their own life journeys, the pauses, the detours, the waiting rooms of existence, and discover, through art, that delay is not denial but preparation.
With its conclusion, Constance and Sons Gallery has once again affirmed its role as a powerful cultural voice, one that connects art to the timeless truths of human endeavour.
