For the nation’s emerging contemporary artist, Okunade Olamilekan, it is important to celebrate the resilience, dignity and evolving identity of African women.
Speaking with The Guardian during his debut solo show at The British Council, Lagos, he described his creative prowess as an ongoing tribute to the strength and sacrifices that shaped his upbringing.
Themed, Bloom & Essence, central to the exhibition is the artist’s homage to African women—presented as queens, mothers, musesand anchors of generational continuity.
Curated by Paul Ayihawu, Olamilekan’s inspiration is rooted in personal experience: raised by a single mother. Each portrait radiates authority and tenderness, with subjects adorned in elaborate hairstyles, Victorian-influenced garments, and shimmering pixel formations that evoke both cultural memory and futuristic mapping.
To Ayihawu, “the exhibition is an epistle of Black power, a reminder of the dignity and grace that continue to define the African woman. The works merge African heritage with classical artistic elegance, inviting viewers to engage with themes of identity, self-determination, and cultural preservation.”
Among the standout pieces is the two-part painting, The One Who Paints Her Future I & II, noted by art historian Ayodeji Akinyemi, as a powerful commentary on education and aspiration in the lives of young African women. The strategic use of mirrors expands the narrative, encouraging viewers to reflect on the ways personal dreams intersect with societal expectations.
Across the gallery, Olamilekan’s methodical pixel technique pushes the boundaries of figuration, fragmenting forms in ways that mirror the layered nature of identity. His mastery of colour sequencing creates rhythmic compositions that invite close inspection, prompting viewers to piece together meaning from calculated abstraction.
Beyond his studio practice, Olamilekan maintains a residential atelier where he mentors emerging artists, and he is an active member of Global Arts in Medicine, reflecting his belief in the transformative potential of art within communities. This commitment to mentorship and healing underscores the emotional depth found throughout Bloom & Essence.
The exhibition forms part of the British Council’s Creative Showcase Programme, an initiative designed to support local creative communities by providing access to professional resources, platforms, and international visibility.
With this debut solo, Olamilekan positions himself among a growing generation of Nigerian artists redefining African portraiture while interrogating history, identity, and the future. His work pays tribute not only to the women who raised him, but to the broader tapestry of African womanhood—powerful, graceful, and endlessly evolving.
Born in Lagos in 1988 and now based in Oyo State, Olamilekan has steadily cultivated a distinctive visual language defined by pixel-like acrylic textures, bold colour grids, and portraits that oscillate between abstraction and realism.Bloom & Essence is currently open to the public at the British Council, Lagos.
