Fiction meets reality: Toyin Ojih Odutola inspires in the Hamburg train station

Fiction meets reality: Toyin Ojih Odutola inspires in the Hamburg train station

Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin, Deutschland - The art scene in Berlin can look forward to an exciting innovation. The Hamburg train station is currently presenting the exhibition "U22-Adijatu Straße" by the Nigerian artist Toyin Ojih Odutola, who lives in the USA. Your works are an urgent dialogue about identity, movement and history. Ojih Odutola, which was born in Ile-iFe, Nigeria in 1985, shows around 25 drawings in this special exhibition, which are placed on tiled walls and black columns of the museum. The opening took place as part of an entry -free weekend from June 13th to 15th, 2025, which met with great interest.

In "U22-Adijatu Straße", the visitor is taken to a fictional Berlin subway station in which the interaction of social and political dynamics is discussed by considering the skin and expression fluidity. The drawings that were created on paper and canvas are made with traditional materials such as ink, character carbon and pastel chalk and breathe life into the human figures. The show accompanies an impressive sound collage with continuous announcements and strengthens the immersive experience.

The view of the artist

A central element in Ojih Odutola's works is the focus on skin textures and the representation of narrative moments. In one of her most impressive pictures, a girl in school uniform looks at a figure in the background. The title of the work refers to Chihiro from "Chihiro's trip to the Magic Land" and Ifemelu from "Americanah" and is an example of the complex fictional mythologies that Ojih Odutola constructs. These stories not only question the colonial perspective, but also aim to develop new forms of skin color.

Another important feature of the exhibition is the creative presentation of the works at different heights, which stimulates the consideration from different perspectives. The work acts like opaque painting and are artfully put into wooden frames, which underlines their aesthetic value.

an important contribution to the art scene

Toyin Ojih Odutola is part of a dynamic and versatile art scene in Nigeria, which is primarily pulsating in Lagos. This scene has produced significant artists, such as Ben Enwonwu, who is one of the most famous Nigerian sculptors and challenges traditional stories with his art. Other contemporary artists such as Victor Ehikhamanor and Njideka Akunyili Crosby also expand this creative spectrum and use their works to point out the Nigerian mythology and folklore.

"U22-Adijatu Straße" quickly developed into a must for art lovers and interested parties. It impressively shows how art is not only visual forms of expression, but can also create a space for critical arguments.