Everything somehow continues to serve as a reminder. A touch of iron reminds of the tale of my late father’s passion for welding. Cold water reaffirms the memory of what it felt like to drink from the late Iya Alape’s clay pot. My dad and his mother do not get to share spaces in my head alone; in fact, I reminisce on them less than I do my mum. 

She died earliest amongst the trio, but somehow, everything continues to serve as a reminder of her, moreso in this candid series of photographs of my sister-in-law and niece(s). Through this series I re-imagined ordinary moments that expressed familiar themes of motherhood, intimacy, and banality. It emphasised how simple moments such as the captured can re-enact the memories and feelings within motherhood that are rarely documented.

Ololade Lawal is a visual artist based in Lagos, Nigeria. She studied mass communication at Yaba College of Technology, and during her higher diploma level, she discovered her passion for arts and visual media. Through her work, she aims to present a more encompassing perspective of everyday mundane life in Nigeria with a focus on themes of social realities. She hopes to expand her work to other countries in Africa. She has exhibited her works locally and internationally, and she is a mentee at the Nlele Institute, a member of Black Women Photographers and the APJD, and a grant recipient of the Goethe Institut Nigeria.