Oil portraits by Ekene Maduka narrate stories of heritage, femininity and Blackness. Dedicated to what she calls “the study of the self,” Maduka’s compositions present repeated versions of her own image, as well as friends and family in domestic settings. Thus the works emphasise the performativity of identity and also how selfhood is intrinsically tied to those around us. Home, memory and displacement are all key themes throughout. Predominantly painting onto stretched canvas and wooden panels, the artist incorporates bright fabrics into the compositions and lifts styles like the ‘gele’ from her Nigerian heritage. By entwining elements of her cultural identity with references to artists like Frida Kahlo, Cindy Sherman and Njideka Akunyili Crosby, —Maduka elaborates on legacies of portraiture through the prism of her own experiences.