A Voice in the Void: Meeting Yusuff Aina’s Silent Character

There's a voice that lives inside us, often waiting in silence. It's a part of ourselves that we sometimes bury, a quiet shadow that only finds expression when we allow it to. Yusuff Aina's latest character, "Voied," is a compelling new light for this hidden self.

The artist, known for his symbolic and figurative work within his artistic universe "Ainaism," has introduced this new figure to his audience. In a recent conversation, Aina described Voied as a character that "represents the silence and hidden parts of others... a shadow self, a silent personality, the voice inside us."

Image of Artist Yusuff Aina | Courtesy of Bakare Ayomide

At his solo exhibition at Windsor Gallery earlier this year, Voied was officially launched alongside Aina's well-known character, "Eniyan." The new character was immediately striking—its sealed mouth and eyes seemed to confront something deep within me. I felt a sense of nervousness emanating from its melting form, as if it had so much to say but was forced to swallow it down.

When I asked Yusuff what Voied would say if he could speak, the artist replied: "I think it would ask people to let go, to set him free. It doesn't want to be silenced anymore."

The Artist Speaks

Ayomide: Was Voied impulsive or intentional?

Yusuff: I drew it by accident. It just came to my head and I drew it. Whenever I drew Voied, I was either sad or angry. It just happened. Whenever I’m sad, I always find myself just drawing this character with sealed mouths or sealed eyes, in weird poses and postures. I was always very quiet at the time. I didn’t always tell people what I was feeling.

Ayomide: Was drawing Voied therapy?

Yusuff: Yes. When I draw, I feel what I’m feeling, I understand what I’m feeling, and I move on from it. You know, there was a time I did not draw Voied for two years. Voied was something I started in 2017, but I left it. I focused more on Eniyan, building Eniyan and understanding Eniyan.

Ayomide: What makes Voied different from Eniyan?

Yusuff: Eniyan represents the being. Voied is the fluidity inside of us. Voied is the emotional part of Eniyan.

Ayomide: Would you say Voied is a political statement?

Yusuff: I never thought of it like that. Voied is anything. It embodies anything that has to do with the unspoken, or unseen, or the silent part of every being.

A Critical Reflection

How, then, has Yussuf’s Voied become a voice in the void?

Even though Voied’s stitched mouth and eyes could haunt his viewers, Yusuff creates a confrontation. His character becomes more than a visual metaphor; it's a mirror. Through this, Voied becomes our shadow selves—a reflection of our own contingencies. Its very creation allows people to realize the depth of themselves, their capabilities, and their fallacies.

Voied explores self-destruction and freedom. It explores self-destruction by mirroring our capabilities; it is the natural state of man to destroy themselves, choosing not to wither is a decision. It is why it is easy to remain silent, to be lazy and shut-eyed. The truth remains that your shadow experiences the same things as you do, it simply lacks a voice and so Voied becomes that voice.

Freedom, however, is explored when Voied truly becomes a voice to whoever views it. The easiest way to find freedom is through your words, so when a person stares at Voied, they can confess:

“I am angry!” “I am weak!” “I am afraid!” “I am marginalized!” “Give me justice!”

The void no longer stays void because there’s a light that seeps through and brings the viewer freedom. It is only when a man speaks that he finds freedom and when he doesn’t, he suffers and self-destructs. The lingering becomes a pain; therefore, Voied becomes that voice that is needed.

Conclusion

After reflecting on our conversation, I realized that Yusuff had created a character that is completely human. The only difference is that Voied confronts the fear, trauma, survival, and shame within us. It says, “you’ve been quiet for too long, let me go.”

His creation of Voied was to give a voice to the voiceless and remind us of the silence that exists within us—that exists in a void that we have created.

Written by Bakare Ayomide