AJAO babatunde lawal
Ba (hons) in Fine art (painting)
National College of Art and Design
Specialisms: Painting / Drawing / Fine Art
Location: Dublin, Ireland
AJAO babatunde lawal
First Name: AJAO babatunde
Last Name: lawal
Specialisms: Painting / Drawing / Fine Art
Sectors:
My Location: Dublin, Ireland
University / College: National College of Art and Design
Course / Program Title: Ba (hons) in Fine art (painting)
About
Bio
I am a Nigerian-born Irish artist whose work primarily focuses on my African heritage and the influence of my adoptive home country, Ireland. I work in series that are inspired by nostalgic feelings and experiences in both contemporary and futuristic environments.
Awards
-Recipient of the National University of Ireland Art and Design Prize 2023
-finalist of the forthcoming 2023 RDS visual arts awards.-runner up, Navan Solstice surveyor 2020
Exhibitions
-NCAD WORKS 2023 : ( Paint Department Graduates’ Show ) Dates : 9th June -— 16th June 2023Venue: Margaret Clarke’s Gallery, Paint Department, 4th floor Granary Building, National College of Art and Design. 100 Thomas Street. Dublin 8.
-Revolutionary Routes( Ireland and The Black Atlantic ) Date : 25th, May -— 30th October 2022Venue: EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin's CHQ BuildingCurator: Maurice Casey
-Surveyor 2020 ( virtual Group exhibition and award ) Date : 21st , November —-22nd, December 2022Venue: Solstice Art Centre? Navan. County Meath. Curated by Catherine Marshall
"Nostalgia and Gratitude" is a body of work that reflects on the past and present of our lives. It's a snippet that captures a sense of wistful reminiscence of my past experiences and the realisation of the present moment. In my quest for knowledge of art in galleries and museums, I seldom encounter works that depict individuals with my skin tone. And when such works do exist, they often oversimplify our existence and reduce it to narrow stereotypes. This has prompted me to employ traditional Western figurative styles of art to create paintings that celebrate the presence of Africans in the face of dominant historical and contemporary narratives. My art raises questions about authenticity and the authority that determines what is worthy of representation. How can we challenge the single-story narrative that leads many to unfairly judge the incredibly diverse ethnic minority communities? How can we address the issue of underrepresentation of diverse cultural backgrounds in our society? How can we inspire a new generation of artists to embrace their identities? These are some of the questions that concern my work.
Competitions
