Deji Onabanjo Artistry

03/19/2026

Productivity tool per excellence! 👍

03/08/2026

03/07/2026

03/07/2026

03/02/2026

ECHOES IN THE GRAIN

Before refinement comes release.
In this stage of Echoes in the Grain, I use the Manpa Hole Crack tool to fracture and open the wood — not to destroy it, but to free the form already waiting inside. The cracking removes the bulk of material, allowing the sculpture to breathe before the finer conversation begins.

Every strike follows the direction of the grain, listening to the history held within the wood. What looks like breaking is actually preparation — creating space for light, depth, and movement. After this phase, the Dremel and FlexShaft with Kutzall burrs take over, shaping rhythm from raw mass.

Carving is not forcing an idea onto wood; it is uncovering echoes that have been there all along.

From resistance… to revelation.

03/01/2026

Eclipsed in Union

Carved from wood over a century old — once part of forgotten structures and silent walls — this sculpture begins its second life as a witness to love. Reclaimed, recycled, and repurposed, the timber carries memories of time, endurance, and transformation.

Two forms rise and curve toward one another, eclipsed in union — a man and a woman joined not in dominance, but in harmony. Their separation gives shape to their togetherness, reminding us that true union does not erase individuality; it completes it.

What once stood as architecture now stands as blessing — a quiet prayer carved into wood, honoring holy matrimony and the sacred promise of companionship. The past is not discarded here; it is renewed, entrusted to a new story.

Love, like reclaimed wood, becomes stronger when shaped by time.

03/01/2026

Before a walking stick supports a journey, it must first endure its own transformation.

These ceremonial staffs begin as Mahogany — silent, rooted, and shaped by years unseen. Through carving, the wood is invited to release what it once was and become something purposeful. The curly base speaks of life’s winding paths, never straight yet always forward. The textured midsection holds the memory of touch and movement, while the Celtic knot handle reminds us that every journey is connected to those who walked before us.

Now sanded smooth, the forms rest in a quiet pause — waiting for fire, burning, and lacquer to seal their story into permanence.

A walking stick is more than an object. It becomes a companion, a witness, and a symbol of the path carried with dignity.

03/01/2026

03/01/2026

Echoes of Becoming explores movement within stillness — the unseen energy that shapes transformation over time. The flowing form bends and rises like a living rhythm, suggesting growth that is never linear but guided by balance, tension, and release.

Its continuous curves symbolize the journey of becoming: moments of expansion, contraction, and renewal woven into one uninterrupted flow. The vibrant colors represent lived experiences — joy, struggle, memory, and discovery — all merging into a single evolving identity.

What appears abstract is deeply human: a reminder that we are not fixed forms, but evolving expressions shaped by motion, time, and inner transformation.