Olufemi Oyewole (b.1986, Lagos, Nigeria) is known for creating figurative works that examine the power of memories and depict subjects in stoical positions. Oyewole was mentored by Abidoun Olaku, one of Nigeria’s most accomplished oil painters known for his highly-finished and detailed depictions of Nigeria’s cities and landscapes.

Oyewole specialized in watercolour, acrylic and oil during his formative years. In his quest to explore fragments of life, he began experimenting with unconventional materials, majorly carpets and rugs. His mixed media works question postcolonial aesthetic and design, and consumer culture in Nigeria. These narratives capture global environmental issues and engage with the repurposed material as a visual metaphor to interrogate how changes in culture can affect one’s sense of identity.

Oyewole’s work sits at the intersection of recalling the past, African mythology and finding balance in today’s fast-paced world. Drawing on nostalgia and a huge obsession with sketching emotive figures while growing up, Oyewole’s works appear to gaze at the viewer and simultaneously suggest a pensive state. He believes artists are social communicators and aims to convey ideas centred on the core of existence. Hence, his depiction of compelling emotions and elements of connecting with the inner mind.

He has participated in ART X Lagos and several group exhibitions, including Generations 2: Future Masters, MyDrim Gallery, Lagos (2018); and Presentation 001, Afr-i-can Contemporary Art Gallery, Los Angeles (2017). He is a member of the Society of Nigerian Artists, the International Watercolour Society of Nigeria, and the Plein-Air Society of Nigeria.