Born in Ibadan, Nigeria, Abe Odedina trained in Britain as an architect; then discovered, in 2008, the Afro-Brazilian ceremonial fair of Candomblé in Salvador, Brazil: “I reconnected with the Orishas, who were cast aside in Nigeria in the project of modernism.” It was on this trip that he started to paint.

Using acrylic paint on plywood, Odedina's magical figurative paintings embody the practicality of municipal murals. A self-described folk artist, he acknowledges diverse influences – from Haitian Vodou practitioners to Painters of the Sacred heart to African studio photography. He explores ideas "the triumphs and tragedies of daily life.”

Odedina has had solo exhibitions with Diane Rosenstein Gallery, Los Angeles; Ed Cross Fine Art, London; and Clerkenwell Gallery to name just a few. His works have also been shown in seminal group exhibitions, including When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting, Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town (2022-2023); Talisman in The Age of Difference, curated by Yinka Shonibare MBE at Stephen Friedman Gallery (2018), among numerous others. His works are included in the permanent collections of Jorge Pérez, Miami; Serge Tiroche/Africa First, Tel Aviv; Beth Rudin DeWoody; La Fab/La Collection d’Agnès b., Paris; and the British Government Art Collection.

Abe Odedina will be presented by Diane Rosenstein Gallery.