Folaju Oyegbesan writes:
..... I cannot think of a more fitting artist to begin this love letter to art with than Tiffany-Annabelle, whose own works function as love letters, offering tenderness, hope and an invitation for anyone with a dream or vision for themselves to keep going. We spoke to her ahead of her London solo exhibition ‘100 Ways She Blooms’ presented with Ed Cross, and what emerged was a conversation about making art rooted in truth and choosing to live and create from a place of belief even when doubt still lingers.
BETWEEN LAGOS AND LONDON
Spending time between Lagos and London has deeply enriched her practice. It has offered Tiffany-Annabelle a perspective that she feels is not always fully represented in art spaces, particularly when it comes to the expression of Black people in states of joy, success and celebration. As Nigerians, our culture is one that is colourful, loud, vivacious and full of flair, and you can see how these qualities naturally feed into the world she creates in her work. At the same time, her dual heritage allows her to approach her practice with both lightness and depth, allowing her to hold different ways of seeing together without losing the specificity of her roots.
CREATING FROM TRUTH
Before becoming a full-time artist, Tiffany-Annabelle studied law, following a path familiar within her family, before later on working in publishing and PR. She described art as the one thing she pursued without any external influence. Drawing and painting were always there in the background, authentic and instinctive, like a calling. That authenticity was evident throughout our conversation. She believes that the strongest artists are those whose lives, values and work are clearly connected. While artists can and should respond to the world around them, she believes work becomes most resonant when it comes from lived experience, heritage and emotional truth rather than distance or performance.
THE LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS
One thing I love about materiality is its ability to really help the artist convey their message, and Tiffany-Annabelle’s choice to use unbleached brown postal envelopes in her work makes this seemingly ordinary material the emotional architecture of the work. The envelopes are not just a backdrop; they carry ideas of exchange, communication, care and memory. It turns each piece into something intimate and tactile, something that feels sent rather than simply made. She described these works as love letters, not in the narrow romantic sense but as a message to herself and the viewers. They serve as a reminder to continue believing in the life she is building and as an invitation to anyone with a dream or a vision for themselves to keep going. This framing makes the works feel less like objects to be observed and more like gestures of care being offered outward.
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