Adewale Adeniji was born in London to Nigerian immigrant parents, who placed him in an informal foster care arrangement while they studied. Raised primarily by a white foster family, he became aware of his racial difference at an early age. His foster mother recalled that as a child he once covered himself in white paint, dancing around the room saying, “I’m a little white boy.” 

When Ade was six, in 1974, his parents returned to Nigeria, and the transition was abrupt. Yet belonging remained elusive. In Britain, he stood out because of his skin color; in Nigeria, he felt he was never “Nigerian enough” because he had been born abroad. Although he cherished Nigeria’s strong sense of family and community, he also felt constrained by expectations to conform. As a gay man, he never felt fully accepted and remained closeted until after returning to the U.K. at 19, where he finally felt free to live authentically. 

Having traveled extensively, including to New York City, Ade describes it as "big and fast, not very communal," yet exciting. This shows how people's perceptions of America change dramatically depending on their level of exposure to it. 

For his objects, Ade chose his parents’ Nigerian passports and a letter his mother wrote to him when he moved back to the U.K. They represent the hopes and sacrifices that shaped his family’s journey. “My story begins with this,” he says, seeing them as a reminder of the resilience, ambition, and dreams that continue to guide his own life.

– Simone Oduola

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant