We hear from the British-Nigerian artist about his limited-edition print, celebrating Mother’s Day, and sparking meaningful conversations.
In celebration of Mother’s Day, Yinka Ilori has unveiled a limited-edition print, “Mother is Gold”, with an intimate session discussing motherhood, maternal bonds, and connection.
The British-Nigerian artist, known for his vibrant colour palettes and joyful graphic designs, creates work that reflects his own stories while also sparking conversations and encouraging viewers to think in new ways about their own realities. For this particular piece, he invited mother-daughter and mother-son duos from diverse family backgrounds to talk over tea and cake, have their portraits taken by Sam Adjaye with the art, and share memories.
We heard from Ilori about his Mother’s Day project, connecting with the families, and what’s in store for the future.
Read the interview…
What initially sparked the idea to work on a project for Mother’s Day?
I wanted to do something special in celebration of Mother’s Day this year, and was toying with a few ideas. My intention was to curate something that celebrated love, family, and connection, as these have always been key themes behind my work. But rather than producing something that was just personal to me, I wanted to open the conversation to a wider audience. I felt it was important to shift the lens onto other families, to explore different relationships and narratives, and to understand what ‘motherhood’ means to different people. I think the result of this, by inviting families to the studio to talk and engage with the print, was really special…
What did you set out to convey through the piece? What do you hope resonates with people who see it?
I hope when people view and engage with this work, that it triggers a positive and meaningful memory in them, and I hope they share that memory with someone else…
My work exists to evoke positive emotions, such as feelings of love and joy. It also exists to bring people together to share and exchange stories. I’ve always loved how art and design has the power to do so much more than just exist, which is why I’m so proud to launch this piece.
Where did the phrase “mother is gold” come from?
The phrase ‘MOTHER IS GOLD’ is the name of a song, often used in Yoruban culture which I grew up singing to. It celebrates the strength, beauty, and sacrifice of motherhood. It was also the title of a 3-piece art collection I created in support of Mothers2Mothers, meant to celebrate and honour the power of women and serve as a reminder of their importance and value as a pillar in society.
What was the design process like? What was the intent behind the colour palette and typography styles?
I am always finding ways of incorporating my background and heritage into my work, and iconography and bright colours are really central to this.
My childhood was immersed in colour, and this is what I tried to capture in the composition of this piece. Visually, the arrangement is mirrored and quite uniformed. I wanted there to be six key words which encompass the phrase ‘mother is gold’ – words such as, ‘Brave’, ‘Graceful’, ‘Resilient’, ‘Confident’, ‘Strong’, ‘Visionary,’ all words I associate with my mother.
My process of using colour to highlight this was quite formulaic. You can see the green and yellow hold connotations to a spotlight shining and illuminating these six words. I then placed ‘mother is gold’ in the central foreground of the piece, to draw the viewer’s gaze. The outer colours naturally draw your eyeline inwards to this calm blue, which allows the golden palette of the writing to really stand out.
How did the session bring meaning to the project?
What was beautiful about this project was bringing different families together to share their personal stories. Often when I create a work, I don’t always get to see people’s immediate reactions, nor do I get to hear their stories. This session allowed us to talk, listen and connect with people directly, and it’s these connections that provided a deeper meaning to the project.
How did you get in touch with the families?
It was actually through Instagram! We shared an open call and were so overwhelmed with the responses too. There were so many beautiful stories, I wish we could have shared them all…
This is such a beautiful example of how art and community go hand in hand. How did it feel to be able to share your work with the families?
Thank you, that means a lot! As an artist, I genuinely don’t think there’s a better feeling than seeing people’s reactions to your work. I always want my art to be accessible, a force for good, and a way of ensuring people feel connected through the power of storytelling.
This piece specifically was fostered through such personal love and connection to my own family, so to see this be reflected in the families responses was truly special!
I would of course like to extend my thanks to all the families who were a part of the shoot, because it was really their support and willingness to share their personal stories that made this project so special.
What did you learn from the session?
Oh, that’s a tough question! I think the session reinforced just how strong, unconditional and universal love is! We brought people together from all different backgrounds and family dynamics, but the one thing that tied them all together, was love – and that was really beautiful.
Are you planning on holding similar sessions in the future?
Yeah, absolutely! We loved meeting and connecting with these families, and getting to know them on a personal level. I always want my work to hold meaning, to lift and inspire people, and this was definitely a way of achieving that. So yeah, keep tabs on my Instagram!
See some BTS shots…
“Mother is Gold” is is a series of 30x limited-edition digital prints, each available for £350 via Yinka Ilori Objects. A portion of proceeds from each sale will be donated to charity.
