Weight of Service | Photography on Canvas | 183 x 122 cm

Title: Weight of Service
Medium: Photography on Canvas
Size: 183 x 122 cm (customizable)
Artist: Ayo Adewunmi
Year: 2023

Description:
Weight of Service portrays the quiet resilience of those who bear democracy’s invisible burdens. The image centers on an electoral officer, seated under the makeshift shelter of a wooden tray and blue board, shielding themselves from the relentless heat while maintaining their post.

The composition balances fragility and strength—improvised shade against the vast machinery of an election. The scattered objects around—the bags, documents, and stamp—become symbols of endurance, each detail narrating the weight of service carried in silence.

Through this lens, Adewunmi humanizes the overlooked labor of electoral workers. The work is less about the grand gesture of democracy and more about the small, personal acts that keep it alive. It is a reminder that behind every ballot and every choice are human shoulders carrying the weight of service, often in shadows, often unseen.