Contemporary Nigerian artist Armstrong Agoreyo’s solo exhibition Fluid Boundaries at Artcore Gallery in Derby presents a compelling and immersive body of work spanning drawing, installation, and video. Rooted in a distinctive visual language that merges magical realism with historical narrative, the exhibition explores themes of cultural identity, environmental fragility, and the complexities of contemporary consumption.
At the heart of Agoreyo’s practice is an intricate process of transformation. Repurposing discarded materials such as magazines and newspapers, he constructs layered paper collages that carry the residue of everyday life, such as fragments of text, image, and memory. These materials are not merely aesthetic choices but conceptual anchors; they function as vessels through which histories are preserved, reimagined, and recontextualised. In Fluid Boundaries, waste becomes a powerful storytelling medium, inviting viewers to reconsider notions of value, permanence, and meaning.
The exhibition’s strength lies in its quiet yet deliberate materiality. Agoreyo’s delicate mark-making and densely layered surfaces reward close looking, revealing complex narratives embedded within each composition. Boundaries between past and present, material and memory, personal and collective, are continually blurred. The result is a body of work that feels both intimate and expansive, grounded in lived experience while resonating on a global scale.
Agoyero is a magician with a pencil, using drawing and collaged paper to create captivating images with intriguing titles such as Ambivalence of a Trickster, which depicts a majestic looking tortoise held aloft by person with their tattoo-covered back towards the viewer. With the drawing Before the Dawn, Agoreyo creates an optical illusion where a figure emerges from an intricate tree-like structure, and a spherical shape – which could be a globe or a pregnant belly – becomes the focal point of the image. A cat’s face stares out of the image and a pair of chickens are perched on top of the tree’s branches. Echoes of the Wild is a ghostly, half-formed portrait with one eye looking pensively at the viewer, created using cross-hatching strokes and bold pencil marks.
Agoreyo, who studied Fine Art at the University of Benin and completed his Masters degree at the University of Derby in 2024, brings a deeply rooted sense of storytelling to his practice. His works celebrate African heritage and resilience, bridging temporal and cultural divides through meticulous craftsmanship. This sensibility is further informed by his early experiences, which instilled in him a strong awareness of tradition, narrative, and social consciousness. Agoreyo developed his unique paper collage style – which involves layering fragments from printed materials – during his studies at the University of Benin. His colorful collaged compositions investigate themes of cultural memory and social justice.
At Artcore Gallery, Agoreyo presents three large-scale collaged works, each alive with a vibrant palette and imagery that echoes the richness of Yoruba tradition within Nigerian culture. In one, a winged figure appears alongside a cockerel – an emblem central to Yoruba creation myth and spiritual practice. Here, the bird carries profound significance, bound to the shaping of the earth itself and the sacred act of establishing land.
Agoreyo’s commitment to sustainability and social engagement is evident not only in his materials but also in his broader artistic ethos. As the founder of Think Artist, a creative movement centred on accessibility, healing, and community-building through art, Agoreyo extends his practice beyond the studio. This ethos of inclusivity and transformation is echoed throughout Fluid Boundaries, where art becomes both a reflective and regenerative force.
Agoreyo’s growing international presence – including exhibitions in Venice, the UK, and Nigeria – underscores the relevance and urgency of his work. His ability to translate local narratives into universally resonant visual forms positions him as a significant voice within contemporary art discourse.
Ultimately, Fluid Boundaries is more than an exhibition; it is an invitation to engage with the layered complexities of identity, environment, and material culture. Through his innovative use of reclaimed media and his nuanced storytelling, Armstrong Agoreyo challenges viewers to see beyond the surface, revealing the interconnectedness of memory, matter, and meaning.
Agoreyo is a highly skilled draughtsman and his innovative use of drawing and paper collage techniques is truly unique. His art is rooted in community engagement and raising awareness of his culture and environmental issues. The Fluid Boundaries is a great showcase for his skill as an artist, and the latest in a series of critically acclaimed exhibitions that continue to establish him as a significant name in the global art world.
In my homeland, Nigeria , I was raised with the understanding that man, animal, and nature are woven into a single, breathing tapestry. But as we move through a world defined by contemporary consumption, that sacred bond has started to drift. We have become a culture that consumes and discards, often forgetting the environmental fragility of the world that sustains us.
With ‘Fluid Boundaries,’ I am using magical realism to bridge this gap. My work is an act of reconstruction. By layering ink, and collage, I am piecing back together the harmony I knew back home. I see my art as a way to reclaim our cultural identity thereby reminding us that we aren’t just ‘consumers,’ but custodians of the earth.
I believe we have a profound responsibility to protect these elements. If we continue to destroy the very nature and creatures we were put here to guard, we ultimately end up destroying ourselves. Through these ‘fluid’ layers of story and material, I’m trying my possible best to heal that drifted relationship and find our way back to a space where we all breathe and belong together.”
Armstrong Agoreyo
Fluid Boundaries, a solo exhibition by Armstrong Agoreyo is at Artcore Gallery, 8 Albert Street, Derby from 2 to 7 April, 2026. Find more information here.
Find out more about Armstrong Agoreyo here.
