In Trade Tower, Oluseye interrogates the intersection of Black [hyper] masculinity and capitalism. By repurposing antique vending machines as symbolic representations of commerce, he highlights how Black masculinity is often reduced to commodified stereotypes.
The installation underscores the selective nature of cultural consumption, where audiences appropriate or engage with certain aspects of Black culture while disregarding the totality of the Black experience. Oluseye addresses the paradox of value associated with Blackness: despite the richness of Black cultural contributions, societal perceptions tend to diminish the worth of Black people.
Trade Tower challenges the appropriation of Black culture and presents a nuanced exploration of material culture, urging viewers to reflect on the implications of commodification and the persistent exploitation within societal structures.
Artist Bio
Oluseye
Oluseye is a Nigerian-Canadian artist. Using “diasporic debris” — a term he uses to describe the artifacts he collects on his trans-Atlantic travels — he traces Blackness through its multifaceted migrations and manifestations. These transformational objects are recast into sculpture, installation, performance, and photography, invoking his personal narratives within a broader examination of Black and Diasporic identity, migration, and African spiritual traditions.
He has exhibited at The Art Gallery of Ontario (2025), The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (2025), The Museum of the African Diaspora, San Fransisco (2024), Daniel Faria Gallery, Toronto (2024), Southern Guild Gallery, Cape Town (2023), The Gardiner Museum, Toronto (2023), Albright-Knox Museum, Buffalo (2022), Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto (2021), and The Agnes Etherington Art Center, Queen’s University, Kingston (2021).