Steve, Act II: Act of Contrition, 2019 Archival pigment print on baryta paper, antique vanity box 13 x 21 inches
Steve, Act III: Revelations, 2019 Archival pigment print on baryta paper, antique frame 10 x 14 inches
Steve is a photographic triptych titled after the conservative Christian slogan, “God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” Drawing on Biblical narratives and Catholic iconography, Oluseye reimagines the phrase through a deeply personal lens. Across a sequence of self-portraits, he traces a journey of reconciliation: Act I: The Fall of Man (The Sin); Act II: Act of Contrition (Shame); and Act III: The Revelation (Self-Acceptance).
Moving from accusation to contemplation and finally to self-possession, Oluseye revisits the religious structures that once defined him, transforming a narrative of shame into one of acceptance and coexistence.