Using “diasporic debris” — a term Oluseye coined to describe the artifacts, discarded materials and found objects he collects from his trans-Atlantic travels — he explores Black being across various themes. These transformational objects are recast into sculpture, performance, and photography. Their explorations invoke Oluseye’s personal narratives and travels within a broader examination of Black and diasporic cultures, migration and spiritual traditions.

Acquisition by the National Gallery of Canada + TFVA 2026 Prize

In a notable recognition of his work, the National Gallery of Canada has acquired Oluseye’s Subject to the Tide (After David Hammons) (2018–2025), cementing his place in global contemporary art collections. He was also awarded the Toronto Friends of the Visual Arts (TFVA) 2026 Prize, highlighting his growing prominence in Canada.

New large-scale work on show on the Lassonde Art Trail (LAT)

The artist’s engagement with public space is set to expand further in June 2026, when he presents a new large-scale work on the Lassonde Art Trail (LAT), Canada’s first public art park, where it will remain on view for two to three years.

Current exhibitions

Oluseye’s work continues to resonate in museum and biennial contexts:

Oluseye: Negro Crossing - Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (until 19 April 2026):
The exhibition traces the migrations of African diasporic peoples across the Atlantic and celebrates the ways culture, knowledge, and spiritual practices are transferred, reimagined, and reclaimed through these movements. Through sculpture, assemblage, and architectural intervention, Oluseye: Negro Crossing moves beyond borders to explore the cohesion and global influence of Afro-diasporic cultures.

Oluseye: Orí mi pé - Art Gallery of Ontario (until 5 July 2026):
Inspired by merindinlogun, a Yoruba divination ritual, Oluseye presents a new installation that illustrates the spiritual, mythological, and biographical elements that have, and continue to, shape his worldview and art practice.

M’anif: The Quebec City Biennial, curated by Didier Morelli (until 19 April 2026):
For The Quebec City Biennial, Oluseye presents an iteration of his work, The Value of My Dreams Will Not Drown Me. Here, he translates his weight into bronze cowries on a mound modelled after Gorée Island, Senegal - the site from which millions of Africans were forcibly removed to French colonies such as Haiti, Martinique, Louisiana, and Québec. At the heart of the biennial, the installation positions Africa as the bedrock of the French imperial project.

“My body, rendered in cowries equivalent to a loan secured to support my art practice, becomes a bridge connecting historical systems of extraction to Québec’s ongoing economic prosperity,” explains Oluseye. “The cowries also embody the weight of artistic production, reflecting both its risks and its value.” He continues: “Cowries carry enduring traditions of trade, knowledge, and spirituality that were suppressed under colonisation. By creating my own economy of bronze shells, I reclaim systems of value that colonial forces sought to erase.”