London

Marrakech

new york

paris

Ayoola Gbolahan
Back to Artist List
Lives & Works in Nigeria
Ayoola Gbolahan is Nigerian painter and sculptor best known for merging figuration, abstraction, and traditional motifs in his work with a focus on abstract expressionism and surrealism. Through a practice spanning 20 years, Ayoola continues to question the issue of cultural identity, taking inspiration from archaeology and anthropology. In his new body of work, Ayoola writes a visual letter to his generation and to subsequent generations. His works explore the idea of an African Renaissance premised on knowledge of the past which is used to inform a new vision of the future.  Gbolahan has exhibited across Africa, as well as in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States, and his works can be found in major corporate and private collections including the World Bank, African Finance Corporation, and the Nigerian National Gallery of Arts. Ayoola Gbolahan will be presented by SMO Contemporary Art.

Ayoola Gbolahan, One Head in Two, 2021, Mixed Media on Canvas, 6x7 feet. Courtesy of SMO Contemporary Art.

Artists 2023