Portrait & Figurative Painting | Ajayi Oluwashogo Art

Mmuo di ndu (the spirit that is alive)

€1.900,00

Eden

€1.430,00

""My work is a visual expression of personal experience — shaped not only by the physical spaces I inhabit, but also by psychological and spiritual environments.""

MEET

Ajayi Oluwashogo

Ajayi Oluwashogo (b. 2001, Lagos, Nigeria) is a multidisciplinary contemporary artist from Ekiti State, currently based in Lagos while completing his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Benin. Working across drawing and painting, Ajayi defines his practice as Expressive Afro-Realism — a visual language that reflects African culture, identity, gender, love, and the rhythms of daily life through emotive portraiture and figurative scenes.

Mentored by renowned Nigerian artist Tosin Toromade, Ajayi has cultivated a style that fuses tradition with experimentation. He works with charcoal, pen, pencil, acrylic, and coffee, using unconventional materials to create metaphorical textures and visual depth. His use of coffee, in particular, transforms the everyday into symbolic pattern — pushing the boundaries of storytelling in African art.

Ajayi views art as both refuge and revelation — a medium through which he connects with society, finds healing, and empowers the voices of young Africans like himself. His works have been exhibited in notable showcases, including the Forbally Undergraduates Art Exhibition (2022), Shodex Garden Art Exhibition (2023), +234Art Fair by Soto Gallery and Ecobank (2024), and The Artists Commune (2024).

Beyond the canvas, Ajayi nurtures a deep passion for literature and music, bringing poetic sensibility and emotional resonance to his evolving artistic journey.

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