MEET
Emmanuel Ojebola
Emmanuel Ojebola is an emerging Nigerian contemporary artist from southwest Nigeria, born in Eruwa, Oyo State, in the late 1990s. Working primarily with mixed media — including coffee, acrylics, and oil — he uses texture, symbolism, and layered emotion to explore identity, resilience, and the rich traditions of Yoruba masquerade culture.
Ojebola’s creative journey began in junior secondary school, where his passion for visual storytelling was nurtured by an art teacher. He later studied at The Ibarapa Polytechnic Eruwa, developing a multidisciplinary practice that merges figurative painting, portrait photography, and Afro-inspired abstraction.
He draws deep inspiration from the strength of African women, particularly shaped by his personal relationship with his mother. This emotional foundation fuels a body of work that blends realism and abstract figuration, influenced by classical and modern masters like Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. Through expressive brushwork and gestural composition, Emmanuel creates visual narratives that feel both intimate and universal.
In his work, the masquerade becomes more than cultural reference — it emerges as a spiritual and therapeutic motif, representing ancestral wisdom, Afro-heritage, and communal healing. Ojebola reframes this tradition as a force of beauty and continuity, in response to its historic marginalisation and demonisation.
His art has been featured in notable Lagos exhibitions, including Emergence at Alexis Gallery (2021) and Our Many Colours at Art Pantheon (2022). International collectors have discovered his work through platforms like Artsper, where his paintings continue to gain global attention.
Now working as a full-time studio artist, Emmanuel Ojebola stands out as one of the most promising young voices in African contemporary art — a storyteller of memory, dignity, and the quiet strength of tradition reimagined.
