Late Olu Ajayi 18 August 1963 - May 2025
Late Olu Ajayi 18 August 1963 - 23 May 2025.
Published Online: By Creative Arts Solution Foundation
Date: 25 May 2025.
Olu Ajayi once helped me as a mentor during my second solo exhibition title "Wisdom".
He humbly accepted to help me write the "Introduction" page of my second solo exhibition catalogue in 2008. Check it out on the internet Archive. Wisdom Catalogue. Page 4.
Screenshot by Olusola David Ayibiowu
Photos on Facebook.
Late Olu Ajayi is a Nigerian professional artist, painter, cartoonist, and art reviewer, with over 40 years experience in studio practice and Art Administration. He is a past chairman of the Society of Nigerian Artists, Lagos State chapter and is a trustee of the Guild of Professional Artists of Nigeria (GFA). Olu Ajayi is also a board member of the Visual Art Society of Nigeria (VASON), and a Fellow of the Society of Nigerian Artists. He is listed in the Who is Who in Art compendium, as well as being honoured as a Top 100 Artist.
He has held exhibitions in Nigeria, South Africa, USA, UK, Canada, and other European countries. He has also sold in Burnham's Auction House.
Early life
Olu was born on 18 August 1963 and is a native of Ososo, in Akoko Edo LGA of Edo State.He graduated from the Auchi Polytechnic in 1984 with a HND in Fine Arts. Olu Ajayi illustrated Xanti by Neville Ukoli, and the Aboki Comic Strip of Defunct The Sunday Observer Newspapers. He was also the in-house cartoonist of Defunct The Nigerian Observer Newspapers.
Career
Olu Ajayi is one of the early pioneers of water colour paintings in Nigeria. After becoming a member of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), he rose to become the President of the Lagos Chapter between 2008 – 2014 and instituted the October Rain and Art Café events that marks SNA's yearly programmes. He was also the founding member of the Guild of Professional Fine Artists and his works had been commissioned work for several institutions including commercial banks, churches, galleries and blue-chip companies.
His works had been exhibited in Nigeria, Africa and Europe and served as a consultant across local and international art platforms. He has reviewed Funnso Ogunlade's "A Promise of Harvest”, Humphrey Bekaren's "A New Pride”, Abraham Ogbodo's "Painting a New Order", Chinwe Uwatse's "A Blaze of Colour", and "Eccentric Paintings" by the Sunday Times Newspapers, Lagos.
Style
Olu Ajayi is inspired by the 1980s art scene, Adolph Frederick Reinhardt and Salvador Dalí.
He prefers working on the female forms using bold colors representing pseudo human figures caught in candid positions.
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