{"id":343435,"date":"2025-08-14T08:51:20","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T08:51:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/343435\/"},"modified":"2025-08-14T08:51:20","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T08:51:20","slug":"vibrant-paper-collages-by-lawrence-meju-explore-daily-life-and-the-human-psyche-colossal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/343435\/","title":{"rendered":"Vibrant Paper Collages by Lawrence Meju Explore Daily Life and the Human Psyche \u2014 Colossal"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI often approach my work as a form of quiet world-building, and in many ways, I think of it as a visual journal,\u201d says Lawrence Meju<\/a>, whose distinctive and vibrant collages draw on surrealism, everyday experiences, and memories.<\/p>\n

The Lagos-based artist remembers working with paper collage during some of his earliest introductions to art-making in school, but it wasn\u2019t until 2020, at the height of the pandemic when access to shops and materials was limited, that a little resourcefulness transformed into a new way of working.<\/p>\n

\"an\u201cSurreal Situation for Two I\u201d (2023), paper, 60 x 50 centimeters<\/p>\n

\u201cI found these interesting, textured papers somewhat abandoned,\u201d Meju tells Colossal. Not necessarily a material he would have chosen off the bat, he was nevertheless motivated to make something\u2014anything\u2014during that time. And the challenge paid off. \u201cI made a quick portrait of myself that leaned towards abstraction, and this was what started my body of work titled Extranormal Portraits.\u201d More recently, his compositions have become increasingly complex and fluid, with numerous figures and symbolic items like clocks, cut flowers, and plants.<\/p>\n

Meju\u2019s pieces boldly explore links between daily life, the human psyche, relationships, and perception. \u201cI am currently engaging with themes of fragmentation, reinvention, and identity,\u201d he says. \u201cThis engagement is also an ode to my process of creating these collages.\u201d By simplifying the human form and other objects into layered, textured, colorful shapes, he delves into the myriad ways memories, histories, identities, and emotions overlap and inform who we are.<\/p>\n

\u201cA guiding force in my work is my commitment to keeping my inner child alive, as well as the drive to create what I want to see in the world,\u201d Meju says. \u201cAt first, carving a path outside the mainstream was uncomfortable, but leaning into that discomfort has allowed me to develop a mode of expression that feels authentic to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meju is currently planning some sculptural works and objects that riff on the visual language of his two-dimensional pieces. If you\u2019re in London in October, find the artist\u2019s work at 1-54<\/a> art fair, presented by Soto Gallery, and see more on his Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"an\u201cMerry Men I\u201d (2025), paper on Brazilian hardboard, 90 x 60 centimeters. Photo by Samuel Adedotun, Adeyemi-Adejolu<\/p>\n

\"an\u201cSelf-Portrait Morning Glory\u201d (2023), paper, 60 x 50 centimeters<\/p>\n

\"an\u201cIn Full Bloom\u201d (2024), paper on Brazilian hardboard, 122 x 91 centimeters<\/p>\n

\"an\u201cShe Measures the Hours in Petals\u201d (2025), paper on modeling board, 90 x 60 centimeters<\/p>\n

\"an\u201cArmy for Two\u201d (202), paper on Brazilian hardboard, 122 x 91 centimeters<\/p>\n

\"an\u201cWhat Is Left to Do\u201d (2022), paper, 60 x 50 centimeters<\/p>\n

\"an\u201cBefore the Sun Sinks Low\u201d (2022), paper, 60 x 50 centimeters<\/p>\n

\"an\u201cHands at Play\u201d (2025), Giclee archival fine art paper print, 55.3 x 38.1 centimeters<\/p>\n

\"an\u201cLight Your Path\u201d (2024), paper on paper, 60 x 50 centimeters<\/p>\n

\"an\u201cThe Garden That Is Your Mind\u201d (2025), paper on modeling board, 90 x 60 centimeters<\/p>\n

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