- Emmanuel Akolo
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- What I Hold Back! 2
What I Hold Back! 2 (2026) Original Acrylic Painting by Emmanuel Akolo
40.64 x 50.8 x 2.54cm (unframed) / 40.64 x 50.8cm (actual image size)
£519.7
Original artwork description
I created What I Hold Back! as an intimate study of the internal boundaries we maintain to protect our emotional well-being. The composition is a tight, visceral close-up of a face partially obscured by hands, focusing on the tension between what is expressed and what is deliberately suppressed. In this piece, the vibrant, electric blue of the fingernails acts as a sharp contrast to the warm, high-contrast ochres and deep mahoganies of the skin—symbolizing the small, bright flashes of our identity that remain visible even when we are shielding our deeper vulnerabilities.
Through this work, I explore the "psychological architecture" of silence and the quiet strength required to keep certain truths for oneself. The closed eye suggests a moment of profound internal reflection or a refusal to engage with an overwhelming external reality. I aimed to capture the dignity in this guardedness, celebrating the agency of an individual who chooses exactly how much of their soul to reveal to the world. What I Hold Back! is a tribute to the resilient spirit that finds sanctuary in the unspoken, honoring the sacred space of our private thoughts.
Materials used:
Acrylic On Canvas
Details:
- Acrylic painting on Canvas
- One of a kind artwork
- Size: 40.64 x 50.8 x 2.54cm (unframed) / 40.64 x 50.8cm (actual image size)
- Signed certificate of authenticity
- Style: Expressive and gestural
- Subject: People and portraits
Tags:
#hand#african#real#pray#strengh#pushing through#cope#modern identity#narrative depth#emotional shield
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Original artwork description
I created What I Hold Back! as an intimate study of the internal boundaries we maintain to protect our emotional well-being. The composition is a tight, visceral close-up of a face partially obscured by hands, focusing on the tension between what is expressed and what is deliberately suppressed. In this piece, the vibrant, electric blue of the fingernails acts as a sharp contrast to the warm, high-contrast ochres and deep mahoganies of the skin—symbolizing the small, bright flashes of our identity that remain visible even when we are shielding our deeper vulnerabilities.
Through this work, I explore the "psychological architecture" of silence and the quiet strength required to keep certain truths for oneself. The closed eye suggests a moment of profound internal reflection or a refusal to engage with an overwhelming external reality. I aimed to capture the dignity in this guardedness, celebrating the agency of an individual who chooses exactly how much of their soul to reveal to the world. What I Hold Back! is a tribute to the resilient spirit that finds sanctuary in the unspoken, honoring the sacred space of our private thoughts.
Materials used:
Acrylic On Canvas
Details:
- Acrylic painting on Canvas
- One of a kind artwork
- Size: 40.64 x 50.8 x 2.54cm (unframed) / 40.64 x 50.8cm (actual image size)
- Signed certificate of authenticity
- Style: Expressive and gestural
- Subject: People and portraits
Tags:
#hand#african#real#pray#strengh#pushing through#cope#modern identity#narrative depth#emotional shield
Emmanuel Akolo
Canada
About
Akolo Emmanuel Olusegun is a Nigerian-born, Niagara-based visual artist who transitioned from a civil engineering background to a multidisciplinary practice. Working primarily with acrylics and charcoal, he blends expressive brushwork... Read more