MIGRATIONS I

JUNE 2025 - 13/13 Sold

Mahogany, wenge, bloodwood
~ 8" x 2.5" x 4"

INTRODUCTION:

The Migrations collection feels like the product of accumulated efforts between 2023-2025 to develop and understand the purpose of these creatures in my artistic practice. What began as “Pets” in my earlier time at the Rhode Island School of Design; smaller, cuter, marketable sculptures, transformed into something truly separate as I grew alongside my work. This collection marks a signifigant shift from those earlier days to where I am now in 2026, as to why I’ve included them on my website as an official collection rather than separating them through my okflo alias.

The earlier “Pets” took on a popular interest that briefly narrowed my artistic vision, creating lots of inner turmoil about the distinction between “commercial” and “real” art. This distinction is something every artist who sells their work will consider at some point in their career: how much of themselves and their authenticity they’re willing to stretch for financial incentive. Its too weighted a topic to fully cover in this introduction, but I’d argue that this question acted as a primary agent to the origins of this collection. Very quickly after they were conceived, my “Pets” took on the role of objects meant to be sold due to their immediate and consistent appeal. The value was obvious, as they offered me a profitable space to explore and experiment with wood types & other materials without large upfront costs or risk, and were small enough in size that I could get a feel of all working processes (from the smell of the wood while sawn to the way it sands and finishes) within several hours.

Because of their producability and demand, I’ve carved and sold well over 100 creatures since I started making them in 2023, without ever taking serious time to consider their role in my larger creative practice. This is something I reckoned with after graduation, while working on the “Providence Summer Collection”, leading to some serious thoughts about why and what these “Pets” should be. The Migrations collection was a step back from what I was familiar with, and a re-consideration of their entire reason for being, allowing a dormant (or repressed) force to accelerate these pieces out of the role as domestic animals and into the wilderness...

MIGRATIONS I:

This collection represents both a new perspective, in the okflo - Florian Okwu distinction, as well as in relation to my actual making practice. The step away from the classically enjoyable simple pets with round backs and butts, circular legs, arched bellies and small heads allowed for evolution, and the adaptation of these creatures implied to me an entire artistic ecosystem in which they are contained, one directly linked to my own relationships with making and understanding of myself. This is what I mean when I describe an inner world or a bridge with reality: The development of roles, shapes, and aesthetic vocabulary in these creatures are products of my own reactions, learnings and drives as I navigate my relationship with creation and career. To strive away from repetition and over-commerciability is foundational to the creatures forms: a sedimentary layer on the epoch of their civilization.

“Migrations” represents a shift from my younger self, away from extrinsic influences, and a (still) refining perspective on the inner world I’m working to create through my work. It showcases a collection of creatures who have undeniable purposes, differences, and statuses; the makings of a small society who travel alongside me as I discover my intentions as an artist, as well as new meanings which have not yet been prescribed. The birth of a new series seems, in my practice, to originate from a moment of clarity, when the reason for an object’s existence suddenly makes complete sense. Migrations sets a precedent, and provides me with a basin in which I can pour this very specific creative energy, one that has been tilting and spilling for years, with intention towards an inspiring new direction.

Inquire

For general interests, please contact: studio@okflo.com