Fortune Ileleji explores human relationships in new book

Artist and author, Fortune Ileleji, has released a new book titled, ‘The Law of Cohesion’, which examines how the relationships between different elements shape individuals, organisations and society.

Ileleji said the book was inspired by questions about why talented people struggle, relationships fail and hardworking individuals sometimes find it difficult to achieve their goals.

He explained that success depended not only on the quality of individual elements but also on how they worked together.

According to him, the book draws on years of observations about human behaviour, relationships, organisations and society.

Ileleji, who studied design in Italy and business in Ireland, said his experiences in both fields influenced his understanding of the relationship between creativity, structure and human behaviour.

He also highlighted the importance of national cohesion, arguing that Nigeria’s diversity could become a source of collective strength if its institutions and systems encouraged cooperation.

He said, “A nation does not become cohesive because its people become the same. It becomes cohesive when people who are different can see themselves, their interests and their future within the success of the whole.”

The author also connected the book’s central ideas to philanthropy, noting that charitable interventions were more effective when they addressed people’s actual needs and created lasting improvements in their lives.

Through The Ileleji Foundation, he said, he seeks to ensure that charitable initiatives produce meaningful and sustainable outcomes.

Reflecting on his creative journey, Ileleji recalled developing an interest in drawing, painting, writing and understanding how things worked during his childhood. He said those interests continued to influence his artistic practice.