In Whom I Can Rely On Mixed Media Painting

This mixed media painting honors unwavering companionship, revealing love’s strength and comfort as guiding light through life’s darkest moments

Artwork Description

about this mixed media painting

"In Whom I Can Rely On" is a heartfelt exploration of companionship, resilience, and the strength found in human connection during life’s darkest hours. This mixed media painting highlights the enduring presence of loved ones, family, friends, or even a rare few, who remain steadfast through struggle. Their support becomes a shelter, offering not solutions, but presence, comfort, and unwavering solidarity when uncertainty surrounds us.

Hands held, voices heard, and steady companionship form the visual and emotional essence of this composition. The piece conveys that guidance is not always about answers but about walking beside someone through both silence and storm. Every brushstroke carries warmth, reflecting the quiet yet powerful light that trusted souls bring into moments of despair.

The imagery transforms darkness into refuge, where love becomes strength, and companionship becomes the anchor of survival. It is an ode to gratitude, cherishing those who guide us, ground us, and remind us that we are never alone.

Through delicate symbolism, In Whom I Can Rely On becomes both a visual refuge and a reminder of love’s sustaining presence. The work invites viewers to reflect on bonds that heal, protect, and illuminate even the most difficult human experiences.

about the artist

Samuel Kayode Toba, born in 1990, is a Nigerian conceptual artist working from Oyo State, Nigeria. He studied art at The Polytechnic Ibadan and earned a Higher National Diploma in Painting in 2018. Since graduation, he has steadily pursued his practice with deep fascination for Nigerian colors, textures, folklore, and cultural narratives.

Working primarily with acrylic and newsprint on textured canvas, he expresses personal curiosities through bold, animated strokes. His distinctive style fuses traditional Nigerian motifs with contemporary expressions, creating compositions that resonate on emotional and cultural levels.

Toba’s approach celebrates acrylics in pure hues and in carefully blended layers that highlight movement, depth, and spontaneity. His brushwork combines dynamic textures with layered impressions, emphasizing both control and freedom in two-dimensional spaces. He integrates contrasting and complementary colors with confidence, infusing each piece with energy and striking visual impact.

The recurring black human form anchors his exploration of identity, memory, spirituality, and interconnectedness. Through this motif, he pushes boundaries of perception and expands how African culture can be represented in contemporary art. His works promote heritage while celebrating beauty, urging audiences to reimagine art’s possibilities and cultural significance. 

Exhibited in galleries and art fairs locally and internationally, his work receives acclaim for evocative storytelling and powerful imagery. Toba continues to advance his vision, creating art that speaks globally while rooted deeply in African traditions and perspectives.

View his Dubai collection of available artworks here

copyright

This mixed media painting is one of a kind original therefore, all copyrights and reproduction rights are reserved by the artist.