Ifeoluwapo Rachael Okunade

Your work often exists between reality and imagination. How do you personally define this space, and what draws you to it as an artist?

I think of it as a quiet middle ground, a quiet place where what is seen and what is felt overlap. It’s not about escaping reality, but softening it enough to allow the inner truth to surface. I’m drawn to this in-between because it mirrors lived experience: memory, emotion, faith, and identity rarely exist as fixed or literal things. I’m also drawn to it because it feels truthful. It’s where I feel most present and most honest when creating.

Ifeoluwapo Rachael Okunade | Reflection Of Light And Soul

Light plays a central role in your visual language. What does light represent for you beyond its technical function in photography?

Light feels emotional to me. It represents presence, guidance, and moments of clarity. Sometimes it’s soft and comforting, other times it’s revealing in a way that feels vulnerable. I’m less interested in light as a tool and more in how it makes someone feel, how it holds the subject, and how it creates a sense of calm or openness.

Nature appears not just as a backdrop, but as an emotional presence in your work. How do you see the relationship between inner emotional states and natural environments?

Nature is an expression of what’s happening inside us. Stillness, tension, growth, and release are all visible in natural spaces. When I work outdoors or with natural elements, I respond to their mood as much as to their form. They help carry emotion without forcing it, and they create space for reflection and grounding.

Ifeoluwapo Rachael Okunade | Motion Blur Stories

Your images invite stillness and slow observation. In a fast-paced digital world, why is slowness important to your artistic practice?

Slowness helps me pay attention. It allows me to create with intention rather than pressure. In a world that moves quickly and demands constant output, slowing down feels necessary, almost protective. I want my work to offer a pause, a moment where the viewer doesn’t have to rush to understand, but can simply sit with what they’re seeing.

Ifeoluwapo Rachael Okunade | Harmony In Nature

Several of your series suggest themes of healing and mindfulness. Has photography played a personal role in your own emotional or spiritual well-being?

Yes. Photography has often been a quiet space for me to process life. It’s helped me slow down, reflect, and reconnect with myself during different seasons. Sometimes it feels less like making images and more like listening to my emotions, my thoughts, and what I need in that moment.

You intentionally leave your images open to interpretation. How do you feel when viewers bring meanings that differ from your original intention?

I really welcome it. I don’t see my meaning as more important than the viewer’s experience. Everyone brings their own story, and I like that the work can hold multiple interpretations. If someone sees something that resonates with them personally, even if it’s different from what I imagined, that feels like the work is doing its job.

Ifeoluwapo Rachael Okunade | Dual Identity

How has exhibiting your work across different cultural contexts – the UK, Nigeria, and the US – influenced the way you think about identity and audience?

It’s made me realise how layered identity is. While cultural backgrounds differ, emotional experiences are often shared. Showing work in different places has helped me trust subtlety and universality, that quiet emotions, light, and presence can communicate across cultures without needing explanation.