I Have Been There

Emmanuel Akolo

2022 • Canada • Acrylic on Canvas

36 x 24 in

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Emmanuel Akolo

Canada

Artist highlights

Local Artist
Featured in gallery curations
Works on commission

Discover the creation in interiors

Artwork details

Medium : Acrylic on Canvas
Other details : Unmounted artwork. Mounting and/or framing available on request.
Dimensions : 36x24in

About this artwork

I Have Been There reflects the quiet strength found in shared learning and lived experience. The painting centers two young men closely studying a sheet of paper, their bodies angled toward one another in an intimate moment of focus, guidance, and mutual support. Their posture suggests both concentration and solidarity—one figure leaning in as if offering insight, the other absorbing it with determination. The bright, uncluttered background isolates… this exchange, emphasizing the emotional weight of the moment and the dignity in seeking knowledge together.

The work speaks to the universal experience of trying to understand the world with limited resources, relying on one another to navigate challenges that often feel larger than us. The bells hanging to the side introduce a subtle tension—symbols of warning, transition, or the passage of time—reminding us that growth is never separate from struggle.

Emmanuel Akolo

Canada

Credentials

Local Artist
Featured in gallery curations
Works on commission

Emmanuel Akolo is an award-winning Nigerian visual artist in Niagara Falls, Canada, exploring human emotion, cultural heritage, identity, and community memory through bold light and expressive portraiture. A vital voice in Ontario's arts scene, he won "Best in Show" at the 2025 Niagara Falls Juried Art Exhibition and placed second in the Art Gallery of Hamilton’s live painting competition. His recent solo exhibition, "Unfinished Narratives" (2026), and contributions to "Black Histories: Black Futures" highlight his dedication to historical reclamation and social dialogue.

Akolo's technical versatility shines in digital art licensing partnerships with Samsung Frame TV and LG Gallery TV+. Saatchi Art. Singulart And Artsper named him an "Artist to Collect." An Ontario Arts Council grant recipient and member of CARFAC Ontario and the Niagara Artist Centre, his work is held globally across Canada, the US, UK, France, Hong Kong, & Nigeria

Go to Emmanuel Akolo's page

Emmanuel Akolo

I Have Been There

You love this artwork, but it’s already been sold?