THE ART OF SELF-LOVE: REDISCOVERING BEAUTY THROUGH MOTUNRAYO’S EYES

Meeting Motunrayo via video call was a profound and sensitizing experience. Her works transcend mere images, leading us on an introspective journey where we find ourselves face-to-face with a mirror. Yet in that mirror, we do not see our reflection — we see a question: “Do I love myself as I am?”

For Motunrayo, the answer today is yes. But it wasn’t always that way.

Born and raised in Ibadan, Nigeria, she loved to draw as a child. What began as a simple hobby gradually became her sanctuary, evolving into a powerful form of self-expression and therapy — especially during the healing process of a soul-crushing breakup. It was in that moment of vulnerability that Motunrayo truly discovered herself through art, realizing it could become not only her own language of resilience but also a way to share her life experiences, allowing others to recognize themselves.

She spoke to me with disarming honesty about the challenges she faced growing up, from enduring mockery over the tribal mark on her chin to criticism of her so-called “masculine ways.” These experiences deeply tested her confidence and self-esteem. But everything began to shift the day she chose to embrace herself as she was.

This acceptance is reflected in her strikingly realistic portraits, created with a combination of oil paint, charcoal, graphite, and acrylics.

Motunrayo works closely with her subjects, carefully observing their unique traits and characteristics, then breathing life into them on canvas. Her background in banking and finance has also given her a sharp eye for detail and a disciplined approach, which she applies meticulously in her craft.

Her inspiration comes from the people around her — their stories, their struggles, their resilience. By drawing on the richness and diversity of human experience, she creates portraits that are not only visually captivating but also profoundly human. Each piece becomes a celebration of individuality and a reminder that beauty can be found even in the most challenging circumstances.

Motunrayo’s work has been exhibited at galleries and events across Nigeria, including Yes You Can Africa, a BabaTunmise initiative where she performed a live painting, and at VAV Art Org, where her portraits and figurative works earned wide acclaim.

Through her art, she offers us more than just portraits — she shares her own journey of self-love. Each of her characters invites us to begin that journey for ourselves. By reminding us of the connections that unite us across backgrounds and circumstances, Motunrayo’s work becomes both personal and universal.

My conversation with her left me with a lasting lesson: if I can first accept what bothers me in myself, then I will no longer be bothered by it in others.

Thank you, Motunrayo, for showing us the way to resilience and self-love through your art.

Get one or more of Motunrayo’s transformative pieces here.

Follow her at: https://www.instagram.com/mamatee_arts_/

Location: Lagos (Nigeria)