Last year we worked with 18 brilliant disabled creatives on our Young Artist Development Programme (YADP). Their work is featured in a new zine called “Department for Wonder and Play”, more about this here. In addition to the digital and physical publication, we’re going to spotlight each artist on the blog so you can get a deeper insight into their work and process. Over to our Solidarity Coordinator Katie, who chatted to Bolu about her work.

Bolu started making creative work when she was ten years old, as a way to deal with her illness. She started by illustrating Christmas cards for a children’s hospital – and has since developed her skills in textiles, animation and bookmaking. She likes finding ways to create worlds, tell stories and form powerful community connections through her art.

Bolu says:

The title of my work is Forged Affection: Love Stories in Sculpture. It’s about the feeling of love, and how it can take the form of sculptures made of experimental mediums like metal and wood. Each playful moment becomes a treasured sculpture, preserving the essence of joy and connection. When we think about the feeling of love, I shape these moments into tangible expressions, ensuring that the beauty of love lasts beyond our imagination. Love, for me, is the timeless melody that accompanies every playful exploration.

I find the emotion of love to be extremely complex and interesting, as well as being universal. It’s something that transcends languages and locations – but I wanted to bring people’s attention the different physical forms into which this emotion can be translated. I also love playing with materials and textures given that it is all about discovery and play.

Bolu’s work involved sculpting wood and metal – often with a laser cutter. The project was supported by stories from three different women, as she explored the emotion of love from different angles.

Bolu says:

I loved playing with the materials as well as the conversations I had with people. Listening to their stories felt like I was connected to them and that’s what I want to highlight in my work.

Thanks so much Bolu for telling us about your work, and the stories that helped to shape it.