Oluwaseun Solomon Akinlo

Biography

Oluwaseun Solomon Akinlo (b.1993) resides in Lagos state, Nigeria and originates from Ondo state. He studied Fine and Applied Arts at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo state. As an experimental artist, Oluwaseun has developed a passion for abstract expressionism and figurative art. His oeuvre encompasses paintings, vitrines and an array of works on canvas such as drawings, acrylic, collages, and altered photographs. Born out of investigative research and communication he conducts within his community, the end result is an emotional culmination of how their stories project on the emotional state of his mind shared as he listens to their voices.

Oluwaseun’s expressionist style is a visual representation of the human psyche, memories and emotions through a personal perspective on social, political, and cultural challenges, which confront the viewers with his evocative figures and use of colours. He was influenced by the community of Ajegunle where he grew up. Akinlo has exhibited in several exhibitions and residencies including; The Kids Are Not Alright at AMGProject Art Gallery (2022 – 2023), 1952Africa Art Residency & Exhibition (2022), TAB Family Exhibition at Cool Change Contemporary Art in Australia (2022), 2nd Experience at The Kokopelli Gallery (2021), Resilience Art Exhibition at National Gallery Enugu (2019), ‘Twilight’ Life In My City Fest atThought Pyramid Gallery Lagos (2018).

Artist Statement

Oluwaseun focuses on emotions and the state of mind of his community. He has always questions identity and what identity can one be identified with. Without the use of skin colour, hair colour, colour of eyes, how tall he or she looks like or if one has a birthmark on them. Growing up, Akinlo has encountered various life experiences which made him question why emotions can’t be use to identify an individual and say that is the individual emotional identity. With the use of colour psychology, Oluwaseun want to use colours to influence our perceptions that are not obvious but true when we understand them. That’s why the materials he chooses to create his body of work are acrylic, charcoal, soft pastel and oil colours.