The Oil King examines power, privilege, and the illusion of wealth in contemporary Nigeria. Using palm oil as its central symbol, the work reimagines luxury through the stain of exploitation — a gloss that both seduces and exposes.
Inspired by the saying “monkey dey work, baboon dey chop,” the images unfold like a quiet parable: one man adorned in splendor, his body gleaming with the same oil that fuels a nation’s divide. Each frame confronts the beauty and brutality of prosperity — where the shine of success is often paid for in silence.
At once regal and raw, The Oil King blurs the line between elegance and excess, asking what it truly means to look rich in a country where so many remain unseen.
