Curator Elliott Ramsey Shares Insight on the Tranquility of Communion

Exploring Identity and Spirituality Through the Lens of Rotimi Fani-Kayode

The Polygon Gallery Presents Rotimi Fani-Kayode: Tranquility of Communion

The Polygon Gallery presents Tranquility of Communion, a retrospective celebrating the photography of Rotimi Fani-Kayode, the Nigerian-born British artist whose work continues to influence the landscape of contemporary art.

Fani-Kayode’s work highlights how young artists can draw strength from their heritage, personal histories, and beliefs as sources of creative expression. His legacy demonstrates that art extends far beyond aesthetics—it serves as a means of questioning societal norms, nurturing dialogue, and opening new ways of seeing the world.

Reflecting on the exhibition, curator Elliott Ramsey notes: “This exhibition is an exploration of Fani-Kayode’s ability to weave Yoruba spiritual traditions into his personal journey as a queer individual navigating cultural displacement.”

Fani-Kayode’s images create a space where personal and cultural narratives intersect, challenging conventional notions of identity while revealing the spiritual and emotional depth of his vision.

The exhibition presents fourteen large-scale photographs, including archival works from his student years that have never before been publicly shown. These early pieces illustrate his emerging exploration of form, composition, and thematic concerns, tracing the development of his distinctive visual language.

Visitors encounter intimate, transcendent portraits of young Black men interacting with natural elements.

Rendered in dramatic lighting that fuses European classical techniques with Yoruba symbolism, the images create a mystical and immersive experience, inviting reflection on identity, heritage, and the spiritual dimensions of self-expression.