Twilight Contemporary - Current offsite: Monica Okello at Godet

Study 01, Monica Okello, 2026

Twilight Contemporary presents On the Body a solo show by Monica Okello at Godet, as an extension of their exploration of topographies of the body. This body of work seeks to map the complexities of comfort, intimacy and, rerouting the self as a place of home.

Emboldened by the success of previous work Terrain first shown at the gallery in August 2025, Okello digs deeper to expand on these formative musings. Each work has been built around snapshots taken of her body, transposed with paint onto canvasses made from found materials. She acts as her own subject, mapping dips, curves, peaks and troughs. These uncharted plains are shown to the viewer as an invitation- only intrusion on private forms.

Yet, these explorations cannot happen in isolation. In representing the body in a natural and self possessed state, Okello is mindful of the targeted assumptions this may invite. Whether through sexualisation, cultural conservatism or religious frameworks, feminine naked forms have historically been the target of judgement and shame. As an African woman with a Christian upbringing, she confronts this by inviting the viewer to reflect on what is innate? Could our natural, naked form be our intended state? Shame is learnt, Adam and Eve existed freely, unclothed before Eve bit the fruit. What did God intend for us? What can we intend for ourselves? Rejecting reductive sexualisation and self-policing, Okello embraces vulnerability, choosing to capture unposed states of ease. The slouched comfortability of these forms document the uninhibited, the crevices of a body at home with itself.

As a multidisciplinary and multifaceted artist, Okello’s practice cannot be contained by discreet boundaries. Her practice stretches across image, print and moving image, painting is merely one burgeoning strand of this. She navigates this multiplicity by centering instinctual choices and organic development. These works materialise as Okello strives towards an actualised way of being. One that centres intuition, multiplicity and self-led exploration. Words by Téa-Anya Earle.