Oluwafemi Babalola

Lives and works in Nigeria

Artist statement

Artist Statement — Oluwafemi Babalola My work begins with people, but increasingly, it has become about the places we share. I work across painting, murals, mixed media and large-scale public art, using bold colour, pattern, African visual references and contemporary urban influences. A recurring image in my work is the mask. I use it as a visual language for identity: the face can remain familiar while colour, clothing, symbols and surrounding elements reveal different experiences and stories. Growing up in Zaria, Northern Nigeria, shaped the way I understand colour, community and public life. Later studying and working in the United Kingdom exposed me to different ways that artists, communities and institutions interact with public space. Moving between these environments made me question why art is so often separated from everyday life. I became interested in what happens when art leaves the canvas. A wall becomes more than a surface. An underpass becomes more than somewhere people pass through. A basketball court can become a meeting point. A neglected corner of a city can become somewhere people photograph, remember and feel connected to. This thinking has gradually shifted my practice from simply making images toward making places. My public artworks often respond to the communities and environments in which they exist. I am interested in creating work that feels visually immediate from a distance but reveals more layers as people spend time with it. Colour attracts...

Artwork