Olu Ajayi (born 18 August 1963) is a Nigerian professional artist, painter, cartoonist, and art reviewer, with over 40 years experience in studio practice and Art Administration. He is a past chairman of the Society of Nigerian Artists,

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

State chapter and is a trustee of the Guild of Professional Artists of Nigeria (GFA). Olu Ajayi is also a board member of the Visual Art Society of Nigeria (VASON), and a Fellow of the Society of Nigerian Artists. He is listed in the Who is Who in Art compendium, as well as being honoured as a Top 100 Artist. He has held exhibitions in Nigeria, South Africa, USA, UK, Canada, and other European countries. He has also sold in Burnham's Auction House.

Early life

Olu was born on 18 August 1963 and is a native of Ososo, in Akoko Edo LGA of

Edo State Edo State, Edo, officially known as Edo State, is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South Geopolitical zones of Nigeria, geopolitical zone of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As of 2024, the state was ranked as the List of Ni ...

. He graduated from the

Auchi Polytechnic Auchi Polytechnic is a Federal Polytechnic in Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria. It is one of the first four Polytechnics established in Nigeria. It has over 10,000 students enrolled in business, technology, environmental and arts courses. It is locat ...

in 1984 with a HND in Fine Arts. Olu Ajayi illustrated ''Xanti'' by Neville Ukoli, and the ''Aboki'' Comic Strip of Defunct The Sunday Observer Newspapers. He was also the in-house cartoonist of Defunct The Nigerian Observer Newspapers.

Career

Olu Ajayi is one of the early pioneers of water colour paintings in Nigeria. After becoming a member of th
Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA)
he rose to become the President of the Lagos Chapter between 2008 – 2014 and instituted the October Rain and Art Café events that marks SNA's yearly programmes. He was also the founding member of the Guild of Professional Fine Artists and his works had been commissioned work for several institutions including commercial banks, churches, galleries and blue-chip companies. His works had been exhibited in Nigeria, Africa and Europe and served as a consultant across local and international art platforms. He has reviewed Funnso Ogunlade's ''"A Promise of Harvest”'', Humphrey Bekaren's ''"A New Pride”'', Abraham Ogbodo's ''"Painting a New Order"'', Chinwe Uwatse's ''"A Blaze of Colour"'', and ''"Eccentric Paintings"'' by the Sunday Times Newspapers, Lagos.

Style

Olu Ajayi is inspired by the 1980s art scene, Adolph Frederick Reinhardt and

Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (11 May 190423 January 1989), known as Salvador Dalí ( ; ; ), was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, ...

. He prefers working on the female forms using bold colors representing pseudo human figures caught in candid positions.

Notable work

Market by the Palace (1999) an oil on canvas painting was his highest grossing exhibited work sold at Arthouse Contemporary Limited in 2008.

References

External links

Profile archive
at ''Who's Who in Nigeria''
Profile
at ''ArtXLagos'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Ajayi, Olu 1963 births Auchi Polytechnic alumni 21st-century Nigerian painters Nigerian editorial cartoonists Nigerian comics artists Comic strip cartoonists 21st-century Nigerian illustrators People from Edo State Living people