Afrodite Society, Kaliko Contemporary and  Nchedo Arts Foundation presents the opening of the debut solo exhibition of Essel Ekuban, opening on Friday June 5, 2026.

In my body has dreams, Ekuban takes us on a journey through an intimate space, a mental, spiritual, and physical territory defined by their interrogation of a history that has been used to define, restrict, and erase, while also holding the possibility for reinvention, care, and self-definition, especially for gender and sexual minorities. 

Working across photography, collage, film, and installation, Ekuban interrogates the power of the image and the archive. It begins with the act of looking; what we see, what we think we understand, and how meaning shifts when we are asked to look again. The material interventions of photo transfers, layering of newspaper cutouts, and painting, makes the images in this presentation resist clarity. Faces blur, surfaces break, and fragments overlap, reflecting the instability of fixed meaning. In the same way that normality can be imposed, the image here is not singular or complete; it is open, shifting, and shaped by perception. This is a personal and a political statement. What is named, what is left unsaid, and what is misunderstood all exist within the frame. 

We look forward to welcoming you. Please confirm your attendance to the opening reception and your name will be added to the guest list.