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Nigerian-born artist Collins Obijiaku will present the solo exhibition “Wherever You Are, Remember Me” at Roberts Projects in Los Angeles from Nov. 7 to Dec. 19, 2026. The paintings draw on people in his community, memories of Nigeria and the emotional experience of moving to Chicago.
Artist Collins Obijiaku will present a solo exhibition, “Wherever You Are, Remember Me,” at Roberts Projects in Los Angeles from Nov. 7 to Dec. 19, 2026. The show brings together oil paintings of figures inspired by people in his community and still lifes shaped by memory, distance and the experience of moving from Nigeria to Chicago.
Obijiaku’s portraits combine linear details with brushy, color-blocked backgrounds. Many of the figures meet the viewer’s gaze. The palette ranges from earthy colors to jewel tones, while occasional references to architecture, nature and art history lend the works a quality that does not point to one specific era, according to Colossal’s report on the artist.
The exhibition is set to include “Rengaji” and “Portrait of Benedicta Rufus,” alongside a group of still lifes. “Rengaji” (2026), made with oil and charcoal on canvas, references Renaissance Christian painting, including work by Fra Angelico, while drawing on Obijiaku’s childhood memories of royal processions in Nigeria. The report describes crowds gathering to watch the king as a source for the painting.
“Portrait of Benedicta Rufus” (2026) is also an oil-and-charcoal painting on canvas. Other works featured in the report include “In Good Company” (2026), “Yene I” (2023), “SLO” (2023), “Aunt Vivian and Coach” (2022) and “Untitled (Woman I)” (2021). The source lists their titles, dates and, for some works, materials and dimensions; it does not provide a complete exhibition checklist.
Portraits Link Memory and Community
The exhibition’s premise connects private recollection with shared experience. Obijiaku’s portraits take inspiration from people within his community, while the memories behind the images reach across places and periods of his life. The result, as presented in the source material, is not simply a record of individual likenesses: the works also evoke how people and places remain present in memory after a move.
That theme gains a specific connection to the artist’s recent relocation. Raised in Nigeria’s Kaduna region, Obijiaku has moved to Chicago and has been grappling with distance and adapting to a new place. The show is in Los Angeles, bringing those reflections to an audience in a different city. Its mix of portraits and still lifes gives the exhibition a way to address memory through both people and everyday objects without claiming that all the works have the same subject or origin.
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From Kaduna Memories to Chicago
Colossal reports that Obijiaku was raised in the Kaduna region of Nigeria and recently moved to Chicago. The report frames his work around the emotional effects of that distance and adjustment, rather than presenting the paintings as documentary depictions of a single place or period.
Everyday sensory experiences are part of that framework. The source describes smells that recall holidays or relatives, sounds that bring back particular times and places, and encounters with strangers who seem familiar because they resemble someone far away. Roberts Projects’ statement, quoted by Colossal, characterizes the settings as viewed through a sentimental lens and says they give the paintings an intimate, dreamlike quality, as if recalling a presence from memory.
“Seen through a sentimental lens, these settings lend the paintings an intimate, dreamlike quality, as though recalling a presence from memory.”
— Roberts Projects, in a statement quoted by Colossal
Exhibition Details Still to Come
The supplied announcement confirms the exhibition’s venue and dates, but does not give opening hours, admission information, a full checklist, or details about public programs. It also does not specify how many works will be shown or whether every painting featured in Colossal’s report will appear in the gallery.
The emotional and art-historical readings are presented through the artist’s work and the gallery’s statement, not as claims that each painting has one definitive meaning. The source does not provide further comments from Obijiaku about the exhibition or a detailed account of his move to Chicago.
Los Angeles Opening on November 7
“Wherever You Are, Remember Me” is scheduled to open at Roberts Projects in Los Angeles on Nov. 7, 2026, and remain on view through Dec. 19. The gallery is the presenting venue. Further practical details, including hours and the full exhibition list, were not included in the source material.
Key Questions
When does Collins Obijiaku’s exhibition open?
“Wherever You Are, Remember Me” is scheduled to open on Nov. 7, 2026, and run through Dec. 19.
Where will the exhibition be held?
The show will be presented by Roberts Projects in Los Angeles. The supplied report does not give additional visitor information such as opening hours.
What works are expected to be included?
The report says the exhibition will include “Rengaji” and “Portrait of Benedicta Rufus,” alongside still lifes. It does not provide a complete checklist.
What themes shape the paintings?
The works draw on community, memory and distance, including Obijiaku’s memories of Nigeria and his recent move to Chicago. The report also describes sensory experiences and familiar-looking strangers as prompts for recollection.
Source: thisiscolossal.com
