Gbolahan Ayoola and Fresco Gallery Launch Third Edition of the BlueWoman Silk Scarf Series
Gbolahan Ayoola, the Lagos-based artist whose work explores themes of human anthropology and spirituality—focusing on duality, identity, and memory within contemporary African contexts—has partnered with Fresco Gallery to unveil the third edition of his BlueWoman silk scarf series.
Between Crown and Current is a double-sided original piece printed on 100% silk, where Ayoola presents two contrasting images in conversation. One side features a composed, frontal figure—representing the self as it chooses to be perceived. The opposite side depicts the same presence amidst a fluid landscape of currents, symbols, and drifting forms, where the aspects of a person beneath public composure move freely, unburdened by performance. These two surfaces are not opposed; they are two truths belonging to the same individual: the face shown to the world and the one that exists solely in private.
When the scarf is worn, one side is visible to everyone, while the other remains unseen against the skin—known only to the wearer, representing their current reality.
This release marks the third instalment in the BlueWoman series, following two previous editions that have established its reputation among collectors. The first edition gained popularity through word of mouth alone, selling out before its official launch—testament to the enthusiasm for Ayoola’s wearable art.
“What I find interesting about identity is how much of it is spatial, how we arrange ourselves differently depending on where we are and who is present, not out of dishonesty but out of the complexity of being a full person in a world that rarely makes room for all of it at once. I wanted the work to carry both sides without resolving the distance between them, because that distance is not a problem to be solved. It is simply the condition of being human.”— Gbolahan Ayoola
The BlueWoman Series is part of a wider expansion of Ayoola’s practice into new media, complementing a painting career that spans over twenty years. His work is included in the collections of the World Bank in Washington D.C., the African Finance Corporation in Nigeria, and the Nigerian National Gallery of Arts. His work has featured in productions for Netflix and Amazon Prime, and has been exhibited at the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London, Abu Dhabi Art Fair, and the Investec Cape Town Art Fair.
Between Crown and Current (BlueWoman x Ayoola III) is printed on 100% silk, 14 momme, measuring 35 x 35 inches. Released as a strictly limited edition of 200, each scarf is numbered, finished with a rolled hem, and priced at ₦150,000 / $120. It is available exclusively through Fresco Gallery at thefrescogallery.com.