When I was a Child

Born in Lagos to Edo-Benin parents, Sam Ebohon graduated with an HND from Yaba College of Technology in 1990. Ebohon’s works are easily recognizable for their vibrant brushstrokes and abstract criss-crossing lines. His signature kinetic strokes create a textured, almost blurred effect, offering a balance between abstraction and naturalism. His paintings often explore human existence within social and thematic contexts, reflecting a contemporary African view of the sublime. The out-of-focus quality in his works, which seem to shimmer like reflections seen through glass, evoke both mystery and beauty. Ebohon is a respected member of the Guild of Professional Artists of Nigeria and the Society of Nigerian Artists, and his work has earned international acclaim, including the Gold Medal Prize at the Caterina de Medici painting competition in Florence, Italy (2009).
In When I Was a Child, fluid strokes and colors depict a father lifting his child high in the air, while the child, mid-movement between sitting and crawling, appears in the corner. The painting nostalgically reflects on the carefree innocence of childhood, capturing the joy of simply being.