Growing up as a black boy in Nigeria, the impact of colonialism could be felt in the community Temi was in. He was aware of bleaching cream at a young age and even noticed how it seemed that lighter complexion was “better”. This made him question the skin he was in, as a chocolate complexioned young boy. Years later, his family moved to America, and in this new context he still found himself trying to scrape the “dirt” off of his skin. In his junior year of high-school, the community of bold black people around him made him appreciate the uniqueness of being black. It was then that he began to slowly see that his skin – black skin – was and is beautiful. These pieces of art are a representation of the beauty that his inner child would grow to love. He knows that many of us have gone through a journey of challenging society’s perceptions of what is beautiful. He stands today, confident in who he is as a black man.

Coker encourages, “We’ve always been the cool kids on the block. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Not even yourself. Man: Ehimare (means God’s Choice). Woman: Esosa (means God’s gift). I chose those names because they represent moments in my life where I realized how valuable I was and being confident in my skin and who God made me to be.”

Temi Coker is an absolute force of creativity, Depicting layers of his Nigerian culture with colors, patterns, dimensions and textures. He doesn’t just create art, he creates powerful experiences that move and challenge beauty standards. His work is a movement.