Asake, a Nigerian artist sensation recently featured an artwork by contemporary Nigerian artist, Ayanfe Olarinde on his album cover. The Artwork, titled ‘Jean-Michel Basquiat’ features the portrait of the legend Basquiat. The portrait is characterized by a large unorthodox image of the legend, referencing Asake’s personality.
About the artist
Ayanfe Olarinde is a Nigerian-born self-taught contemporary artist, based in Lagos. Her work stems from her love of scribbling. As seen in her works, she often writes and adds personal notes to her pieces. She reckons that scribbling is her way of understanding the world around her. With this, she creates harmony from disharmony in the world around her, as she references her Yoruba culture.
Her debut solo exhibition at the JD Malat Gallery in London features the artist’s perspective on age-old tales from Yoruba folklore.
‘ I feel the people who can tell these stories, like our great grandparents have passed away. Western media provides a lot of information on the internet today. I don’t think any white person can truly tell our history for us. In some way, this is my way of properly preserving that history.’ She states In her interview with Adedayo Laketu.
As a Yoruba woman with a deep connection to her culture, Olarinde sheds light on the original tales. She notes that the stories have undergone multiple revisions, which has led to their dilution and loss of essence. By accurately retelling these tales, she aims to bridge the gaps and ensure their continued relevance.
Image courtesy of artist’s Instagram.
Her style often features large images that reference contemporary representations of traditional Yoruba masked-like figures. ‘The piece was all done as a means of preserving materials, easing stress, and depicting the writings and sketches from my journal ‘. She states.
Ayanfe Olarinde’s artistic journey delves deep into Yoruba heritage, folklore, and the significance of preserving cultural narratives. By reclaiming and retelling these stories, she invites us to reconnect with our roots. In doing so, she fosters a greater understanding of ourselves and our shared humanity. Through her powerful artworks, Olarinde paves the way for a renewed appreciation of Yoruba culture and its timeless wisdom.
The decision to include Ayanfe’s artwork showcases the ever-evolving and dynamic nature of the arts industry. As creatives from different fields collaborate more, they are creating visually stimulating art that fuses art and music to evoke the perfect emotion necessary for understanding the artist. This is a progressive move as the creative industry shifts to accommodate various audiences intrigued by different art references.
As the art industry shifts to a tech-averse reality, I hope that better channels will emerge that allow artists like Ayanfe to tokenize their artwork upon its sale. The art industry needs such channels to retain originality and artistic value.
