OSORANNA MOJEKWU (OSO): REFINING GOLD FROM THE DISCARDED

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Osoranna Mojekwu, known as OSO, transforms forgotten materials — foil, wire, thread — into powerful artworks that reflect the depth of the Black diaspora. For him, nothing is ever truly wasted. Whether physical or conceptual, discarded things always carry a value waiting to be revealed. Working with sustainable materials is his way of proving that what seems disposable can actually be gold — you just haven’t refined it yet.

OSO’s ideas come to him like signals: a lingering dream, a person, an experience that won’t let him go. If the thought stays, he knows it’s meant to be made. “If I forget it, it wasn’t meant to happen. The real sparks never let me rest.”

For his commissioned piece at the Adidas Lagos Flagship store, Community: Humans of Adidas, OSO created life-sized figures built from recycled materials, each one wearing the adidas three stripes in their own way. The installation captures the individuality and spirit of Lagos youth culture — remixing global symbols through a distinctly local lens. The work celebrates the creative force of the diaspora across music, fashion, sport and art. OSO’s goal: that anyone who sees the piece — whether from Lagos or beyond — can recognize themselves or someone they know within it.