Àpótí Ọlọ́wẹ̀

Artist statement

Àpótí Ọlọ́wẹ̀ is a love story rooted in Yoruba craft and memory. The series follows Ayo, a young woodcarver, and Morenike, his muse, as their relationship unfolds across six chapters,from a chiefs’ meeting that shapes their fate to an engagement and its aftermath.

Each chapter features a central digital painting paired with small digital sculptures: stools, charms, and carved objects that act as symbols and clues. These forms emulate the storytelling traditions of Yoruba artisans who used everyday objects to hold history, emotion, and meaning.

Inspired by Olowe of Ise and the broader tradition of Yoruba woodcarvers, many of whose names have been swallowed by history. These were artists who poured intention, culture, and history into carved wood. Their work endured; their names often did not. Àpótí Ọlọ́wẹ̀ is partly a reckoning with that erasure. The series asks what it means to carry a craft forward.

Though created digitally, Àpótí Ọlọ́wẹ̀ continues the philosophy that objects can speak. They can hold love, conflict, lineage, and the weight of tradition.

Ultimately, Àpótí Ọlọ́wẹ̀ is a tribute: to Yoruba storytelling, to the artistry that shaped generations, and to the evolving language of African digital expression.

Kayode Oyeniyi · Kaysworks

Visual archive

Works, studies, objects, and design elements from the series. Come closer, look around. This is the world Ayo lives in.

Research foundation

The cultural layer of Àpótí Ọlọ́wẹ̀ begins with Yoruba carving traditions, the named and unnamed artists who shaped them, and the objects that carried story, authority, memory, and praise.

Foundation

Olowe of Ise: primary research

Deep study of Olowe of Ise and other Yoruba woodcarvers: their veranda posts, palace doors, vessels, and carved objects. Key references include the Òpó collection held at the Met, the lidded bowl held at the Smithsonian, and the Ikere palace doors now held at the British Museum. The focus is compositional innovation, symbolic language, and the oral praise traditions surrounding the work.

World-building

20th century Yoruba culture & tradition

The story of Ayo and Morenike is set in the Yoruba region Southwest of Nigeria in the early-to-mid 20th century, a time before rapid urbanisation reshaped the landscape, when compound life, craft guilds, and oral tradition still structured daily existence. The work draws on historical accounts of Yoruba domestic life, the social role of the wood carver within a community, how markets were organised, what people wore, how they greeted one another, what ceremonies marked the seasons, and what the inside of a compound actually looked and felt like. The research is not about strict accuracy since the series is fiction, but about grounding the world in enough cultural truth that the characters, the settings, and the details feel like they genuinely belong to a time and a place.

Cultural layer

Yoruba symbolic motifs

Research into carved stools, charms, ornamentation, ritual objects, and doors as narrative devices. The aim is to translate the feeling and function of Yoruba craft into digital sculpture without losing its charm, seriousness, or cultural weight.

On-chain architecture

Custom contracts & multichain infrastructure

Release schedule

After Chapter 1, the series continues across five more releases. Six chapters across six months, May through September 2026. Each release is a self-contained world that advances Ayo’s story, built from a 1/1 digital painting, a set of digital sculptures, written narrative, and optional archival prints. You can follow from the beginning, or step in wherever the story finds you.

Dates are subject to change. I will always announce if any date changes.

Precursor

Precursor Month

Entry tokens, world primer, social teasers, merch reveal, and the Ìgbáradì precursor auction.

View auction

Precursor auction

Ìgbáradì

Ìgbáradì means Preparation. The piece was conceived during my process of building the visual and cultural world of Ayo. It depicts a carefully arranged scene containing:

Ornate earthen pitchers
Adire (Yoruba resist-dyed fabric)
A bowl of kolanut (Obi)

Each of these objects carries deep cultural meaning within Yoruba traditions, Pitchers keep water cool throughout the day, kolanut is central to ceremonies, greetings, and divination, and Adire represents a celebrated craft with generations of mastery and countless variations. Igbaradi reflects my research into the traditions I aim to honor, remember and showcase. It also serves as the direct precursor to “The Meeting,” the opening chapter of the series, a table prepared for the chief’s council gathering. In every sense, this piece is the first step into the world I am building, and I am deeply excited to share it with you. Every element in the artwork was individually sculpted, painted, and simulated with care to achieve its final form.

01

The Chiefs’ Meeting

A gathering of elders gives insight into the character of Ayo and the outlook of society on his craft

● Now live

02

Ìpàdé

The Meeting. Ayo and Morenike first cross paths

Jun 1

03

L’abẹ Igi Oronbo

Under the Orange Tree. A moment of intimacy, truth, and shared vulnerability

Jul 1

04

Ilé Agbẹgilérè

The Sculptor’s House. Inside Ayo’s world of craft, lineage, and symbolic creation

Aug 1

05

The Engagement

An event that tests family expectations, tradition, and love. The role of the Àpótí is revealed

Sep 1

06

Aftermath

Narrative resolution, emotional closure. Key elements and characters revealed

Sep 27

Post

Collector Rewards Unlock & World Compendium

Gold rewards, digital book, character deep dives, exhibition, optional commemorative items

Oct – Nov

Chapter 1 · Now live

The Chiefs’ Meeting

Painting

The Chiefs’ Meeting

The central Chapter 1 painting introduces the gathering of elders and the social world surrounding Ayo’s craft.

View full screen

Chapter 1 sculpture set

The Ìjòkòó Set

The gems of Chapter 1, the Ìjòkòó Set, are the stools present in the chiefs’ meeting: quiet evidence of Ayo’s hand, his discipline, and the dignity of work that is often noticed only after it has already been carrying everyone.

I J Ò K Ò Ó

Carved stools of power & presence

Triple-tap to unveil · Touch or hover to explore

Chapter 1 script

The Chiefs’ Meeting

Chapter 2 · Now live

Ìpàdé

Painting

Ìpàdé I

The central Chapter 2 painting captures the moment Ayo and Morenike first cross paths — a commission, a conversation, and something neither of them expected.

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Chapter 2 script

Ìpàdé

Auction & bid requirements

The tokens are your way into Àpótí Ọlọ́wẹ̀: a small claim in the world being built, access to the live chapter auctions, and a place inside the story as it unfolds. Each tier carries a different relationship to the project. See the privileges below before you choose how you want to enter.

Token privileges

Entry Token Wood

Bid & buy paintings and sculptures
Name on the project monolith

Bronze Token Burn to redeem

Bid & buy paintings and sculptures
Exclusive access to select works
Àpótí Ọlọ́wẹ̀ merch
Name on the project monolith

Gold Token Airdropped

Awarded through chapter auctions
One airdrop per chapter, six total
Unlocks collector reward at series close

ⓘ

Before you bid: Entry and Bronze tokens unlock auction access. Collect five Entry (Wood) tokens and burn them to redeem one Bronze token, opening the elevated tier of privileges.

Why crypto, and why this series?

Àpótí Ọlọ́wẹ̀ is hosted on the blockchain, a permanent public ledger that records ownership. This is not a technical choice for its own sake; it is what makes the token system real. Every privilege in the series, from auction access to the Bronze burn, happens on-chain, transparently, with no middleman. What you collect is yours in a way that no platform can revoke.

The auctions are also a genuine social experience. Bidding is open, you can see competing bids in real time and follow the same story chapter by chapter alongside other collectors. It is the energy of a gallery opening, without the geography. The five steps below walk you through everything you need to get started.

Ready to get started? The five steps below walk you through everything, from setting up your wallet to placing your first bid.

01

Create a crypto wallet

A wallet is your personal account on the blockchain. It stores your tokens and lets you buy, sell, and receive digital art. The recommended wallet for getting started is Rabby Wallet, a free browser extension and mobile app known for its clean interface and built-in transaction safety checks. Download it, create an account, and you'll be given a secret recovery phrase, 12 words that are the master key to your wallet.

Keep it safe: Write your recovery phrase down on paper, in a notebook, a journal, anywhere physical you trust, and store it somewhere secure. Never share it with anyone, and never save it as a screenshot or in your notes app. Lose it and your wallet cannot be recovered.

02

Fund your wallet

You'll need ETH (Ether) to purchase tokens in this series. You can buy ETH through a regulated exchange such as Coinbase or Kraken, both beginner-friendly and available in most countries. You can also buy ETH directly inside Rabby Wallet using a card via its built-in on-ramp.

How much? Entry tokens are priced affordably. You'll also need a small extra amount (~$5–15 worth of ETH) to cover gas fees, the small network cost per transaction, which varies by time of day.

03

Connect your wallet to OpenSea

OpenSea is the marketplace where Àpótí Ọlọ́wẹ̀ Entry Tokens are available. Visit opensea.io and click Connect Wallet in the top right. Select Rabby Wallet and approve the connection in the pop-up. Your wallet is now linked and you're ready to collect.

Connecting is free. You are simply proving you own the wallet. Nothing is spent until you make a purchase.

04

Mint your Entry (Wood) Token

Click Mint Entry Token below. The OpenSea page will open. Select the quantity you want and click Buy Now. Rabby Wallet will pop up showing the price and gas fee with a clear risk summary; review it, then confirm. Within moments the token will appear in your wallet and on your OpenSea profile.

Already a collector? If you hold five Entry (Wood) tokens you can burn them on Transient Labs to receive one Bronze token and unlock elevated collector privileges.

05

Participate in chapter auctions

With your wallet funded and your Entry Token held, you're eligible to bid on the artwork auctions that accompany each of the six chapters. Head to the auction page, connect your wallet, and place a bid. The highest bidder at closing time wins the piece and receives a Gold Token airdropped to their wallet, with access to exclusive end-of-series rewards.

Entry Token Access

Entry Token Claim Page

Live Auction, Bid Now ◆ Auction Hall of Fame

Live auction