OLALEKAN ODUNBORI

Olalekan Odunbori was born and raised in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. He discovered he could draw while he was in primary four and then decided to take this passion further by studying Fine Art at Yaba College of Technology for his tertiary education. He majored in painting and graduated in 2012. He favored Acrylic on canvas. He is from the Yoruba ethnic group and his culture and people inspired his art.

Olalekan's current style can be described as 'semi-abstract art'; drawing on the Cubism movement. His works explore and celebrate the tribulations and triumphs of Africans in a contemporary way and he loves to express his ideas using distorted forms, pure colours, African motifs and patterns. Living in Lagos, his work mirrors his environment, so it is only right that it expresses the ever-bubbling city of Lagos where people of different backgrounds live and do business. This is evident in his works with the consistent use of the yellow of Lagos. A quintessential part of the colours which make Lagos a bright and beautiful city. 

Olalekan's work has been featured in many exhibitions; Art Via You Art Fair, Stokey Pop Up, (London 2023), Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) October Rain Art Exhibition (Reawakening), Mydrim Gallery, (Ikoyi Lagos 2022), Diversiform 3, Art Hub, Ebute-Meta (Lagos 2020), Lagos State Council For Arts And Culture, Bridging The Cultural Divide, Ikeja (Lagos, 2019), Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) October Rain Art Exhibition, Thought Pyramid Gallery, Ikoyi (Lagos, 2018) and Lasgidi Cutural Arts Exhibition, Freedom Park, (Lagos, 2015).

Olalekan has also received multiple awards including; Winner of the Sabaa Art award 2023, Ensemble 2, (Painting category) and Winner of the Sabaa Art award 2023, Ensemble 2, (Painting category) and Top 25 emerging visual artist, Digital Confex 2023, Gaming and animation Confex.