Maureen Paley – Kayode Ojo: An angel is just a messenger

Selected Press

Wallpaper, Ten things to see at London Gallery Weekend, Emi Eleode, 3 June 2025

The Art Newspaper, London Gallery Weekend 2025: our critics pick their top shows, Ben Luke and Louisa Buck, 3 June 2025

Absinthe Robette (Bree)
xccoco 28" Long Body Wave Highlight Wigs Skunk Stripe Synthetic Lace Wig Long Wavy Orange with Blonde Highlighted Wigs for Women, ZARA EMBROIDERED SILK DRESS, Rhinestone Jewelry Corporation #17012 - Fringe Hoop Earrings - 5", Hamilton Stands KB400 Classic American Folding Sheet Music Stand, GUOZI Womens Round Ball Bag Crystal Evening Clutch Purse with Tassel, Glitter Rhinestones Handbag for Wedding Party, Multi Layer Diamante Fringe Top And Skirt Set, Liberty Imports Heavy Duty Diecast Metal Stainless Steel Handcuffs with Keys - Bulk Party Favors for Police Role Play, Champagne Glasses set of 4 Cheers Champagne Flutes 5 oz for Wedding Party Anniversary Christmas Vintage Pattern Embossed Premium Glass 150 ml (Green)
144.8 x 101.6 x 101.6 cm – 57 x 40 x 40 in
2023

Maureen Paley is pleased to present An angel is just a messenger, the first solo exhibition of Kayode Ojo at the gallery and in the UK.

His work employs a process of sourcing, collecting and displaying objects. His sculptures reveal how items can confer social status upon their owner, examining the artifice of taste and the aspirations associated with it. Though the sculptures reflect on the markers of excess and accumulation, these carefully staged compositions also embrace the fragility and impractical beauty of their objects.

His Dark Materials (Brut)
TechCraftMaster Disassembled Film Camera | Vintage Camera | Mechanical Film Camera | Camera Teardown | Camera Art Decor | Photographer Gifts; Hnycinj 18 inch Industrial Wall Clock, Non-Ticking Vintage Real Moving Gear Battery Operated Steampunk Decor Metal Clock for Living Room, Farmhouse, Home Kitchen (Silver-White, 18 Inch); Prada Necklace - Prada Symbole Triangle Milano Pedant Classic; Brut Eau De Toilette For Men 100ml Measured Spray Lotion; Heavy Duty Toy Metal Handcuffs with Keys - 6 PACK Stainless Steel Bulk Fake Hand Cuffs Accessories Supplies for Kids Police Pretend Role Play, Adult Party Favors; JUXYES Silver Tone Metal Sphere Holder Caliper Stand, Hold Max to 2-7/8, Caliper Style Display Stand for Mineral, Ornament, Gem, Shell, Coin, etc; Metal Masters Store 2 Carat Round Brilliant Cubic Zirconia CZ Sterling Silver 925 Wedding Engagement Ring Sizes 4 to 11; Mr.Van Watch Movement Cufflinks Silver Vintage Steampunk For Men's Father's Day Deluxe Gift; Glacier Bay 12 in. x 48 in. Classic Rectangle Frameless Vanity Mirror
60 x 120 x 32 cm – 23 5/8 x 47 1/4 x 12 5/8 in
2025

Drawing materials from fast-fashion websites and online retailers, he integrates the processes of browsing, scrolling, and acquiring into his artistic practice. In his artwork captions, Ojo quotes the original item descriptions as they appeared online, drawing attention to the search-optimised keywords that underpin the algorithmic structures that govern contemporary e-commerce.

McCorquodale
8 Genuine K9 Crystal Chandelier Clear 6,
8, 10, 10+5, 16+8, 20+10 (15 Arms)
210 x 248 x 80 cm – 82 5/8 x 97 5/8 x 31 1/2 in
2025

Also featured in An angel is just a messenger are examples from an ongoing series of photographs taken in nightlife settings that capture the fleeting interactions, opulence, and eroticism of these spaces. His subjects appear at varying levels of identifiability, commenting on the levels of transparency and the access we are afforded.

Compass, Berlin
c-print in polished aluminium frame
68.9 x 102.9 x 4 cm – 27 1/8 x 40 1/2 x 1 5/8 in
2024

The title of the exhibition is drawn from a quote by the artist's father, a devout Evangelical Christian. “My dad says an angel is just a messenger” Ojo commented, “And what is a contemporary artist if not a messenger?”1

His Dark Materials (Cartier King)
Halukakah Men’s Watch - The King - 18K Gold/Platinum Plated, 40MM Square Dial, Iced Out Wristband, with Cuban Link Chain Necklace and Bracelet Set Optional, Comes in Giftbox, Graflex 4x5 PACEMAKER SPEED GRAPHIC CAMERA with 135mm Optar, Zara GEMSTONE HEART EARRINGS, Classic Rectangle Frameless Vanity Mirror
21.8 x 100 x 38 cm – 8 5/8 x 39 3/8 x 15 in
2025

Infinity, New York, NY
c-print in polished aluminium frame
35 x 52 x 3 cm – 13 3/4 x 20 1/2 x 1 1/8 in
2024

An angel is just a messenger
exhibition view
Maureen Paley, London
2025

McQueen Knuckle, Berlin
c-print in polished aluminium frame
35 x 52 x 3 cm – 13 3/4 x 20 1/2 x 1 1/8 in
2024

Kayode Ojo (b. Cookeville, Tennessee, 1990) lives and works in New York. He is represented by Sweetwater in Berlin who recently presented his solo exhibition Me & U (2024). A year prior, 52 Walker in New York displayed a solo presentation of his work, Eden (2023).

Works by Kayode Ojo are held in the institutional collections of CCS Hessel Museum of Art, New York; MOCA Museum of Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles; Museum Brandhorst, Munich; Stedelijk, Amsterdam; and Studio Museum in Harlem, New York.

1 Simon Wu, Kayode Ojo’s Embarrassment of Riches, in Frieze, Issue 227, April 2022.