Introspection and Artistry: Interview with Olamilekan Akinsola

To gain insights into the vulnerability and the complexities of being a mutlidisciplinary artist, we explored the mind of Olamilekan Akinsola

To gain insights into the vulnerability and the complexities of being a multidisciplinary artist, we explored the mind of Olamilekan Akinsola.

Interviewing Olamilekan Akinsola was an immersion into raw emotions, layered meanings, and powerful visual storytelling. He offered more than a glimpse into his journey as a contemporary artist, as his works, etched across diverse mediums, translate existence themselves. 

Interview 

1. Please, tell us more about yourself. 

Born in 2001. Olamilekan Akinsola is a visual storyteller, a Nigerian contemporary artist and a graduate of the University of Lagos, where he studied creative arts and further mentored under Bolaji Ogunwo, Akinbanji Osanyemi, Damilola Opedun and Ayoola Gbolahan. His works bridge classical techniques and contemporary emotion. 

He primarily works with charcoal, acrylic, oil and unconventional materials like burnt paper to explore themes around identity, memory, spirituality, and human connection. His journey as an artist is deeply personal, drawing from faith, lived experience, emotions, and cultural roots to express complex narratives in a language that feels both intimate and universal. It’s a means of healing, documentation, communion and a testament of his existence. 

Olamilekan lives and practices in Lagos, Nigeria, where he continues to create thought-provoking and visually stimulating pieces, documenting his experiences in his works and challenging his viewers' perceptions and understanding of the world around them. 

Over the years, I’ve participated in exhibitions such as: 

• Iconic Lagos Exhibition at Didi Museum (2022) 

• Sogal Lagos Auction at Signature Beyond Art Gallery (2023) 

• +234Art Fair curated by Soto Art Gallery (2024) 

• Emerging Expression by Creathlab at MadHouse (2024). 

• An Ode to ÓDÉ at Madhouse (2024) 

• Don’t Be A Square at Akka Project, Venezia, Italy (2024) 

• Black History Month Curated by Ogirikan on Artsy (2025) 

• +234Art Fair curated by Soto Art Gallery (2025) 

• Reimagining Hope Residency by FMACTCE NIGERIA and MadHouse (2025) 

2. Which mediums do you primarily work with, and what informs your decision to explore such a diverse range of materials? 

I primarily work with charcoal, oil, acrylic, and burnt paper. Each medium offers a unique texture and emotional quality, and I choose them intentionally, working hand in hand to tell stories or convey my feelings. Charcoal, for instance, allows me to capture raw emotion and vulnerability with its softness. It creates room for direct physical connection between me and the canvas. 

For me, the medium is never separate from the meaning; it’s part of the voice I use to tell these stories. The burnt paper in my works, for example, are called “patches of memories”, conveying the idea of the collective events and experiences that make us who we are, metamorphosing into our reality, thus, the attire we put on. Yet, also to beauty emerging from damage. 

My choice to explore a diverse range of materials comes from a desire to fully embody the themes I work with, whether it’s identity, spirituality, or resilience, and to create an archival experience/feel with my work. 

3. As a contemporary African artist, how would you define your identity within the broader global art landscape and the unique meanings, influences, or challenges that accompany this positioning? 

As a contemporary African artist, I see my identity as both rooted and expansive. I’m deeply grounded in the realities, beauty, and complexities of Nigerian struggles, as well as the resilience and communal spirit, but I also speak a visual language that is emotionally universal. In the global art landscape, I represent a voice that carries the weight of cultural memory while challenging the issues faced by our existence. 

My work is influenced by personal beliefs and values and the ever-evolving experience of being a young Nigerian navigating modern pressures. One unique challenge is the constant negotiation between authenticity and expectation: how to stay true to my story without being boxed into stereotypes often imposed by the international or social gaze. Yet, this challenge is also an opportunity. It pushes me to create from a place of honesty and complexity, allowing my art to act as both a testament to my existence and my cultural and philosophical contribution. I don’t see my life experience as something to explain or justify; it is the lens through which I see, feel, and create. 

4. How deeply and often do cultural diversity and personal experiences influence the visual language, trajectory and the themes in your works? 

Cultural diversity and personal experience are at the core of everything I create; they shape not only the themes I explore but also the way I choose to express them visually. Growing up in Nigeria, I’ve been surrounded by rich traditions, layered histories, and a community-orientated way of life that constantly find their way into my art. Whether it’s through symbolic gestures, the posture of the figures, the texture of the materials, or the spiritual undertones, my work reflects lived realities that are both individual and collective. 

My visual language often evolves with my emotional and spiritual journey. For instance, in my “Self Portrait” series created during the residency, each piece is a reflection of specific seasons in my life, moments of longing, breakthrough, and divine encounter. Similarly, in my coming body of works, I confront the psychological and emotional weight young Nigerians carry while navigating ambition, fatigue, and survival. The diversity of my influences, from faith and folklore to urban chaos and cultural wisdom, helps me build a language that feels both intimate and resonant across cultures. My art becomes a space where personal truth and cultural identity meet, question each other, and grow. 

5. Your works frequently feature significant portrayals of women and children. Is there a consistent narrative or symbolic message behind them? 

Other times, 70% of people I find around me are women, right from childhood in my mother’s tailoring shop down to school days, and by spending so much time around them, it has largely affected the way I feel and react to some emotions and sometimes how I perceive the world around me and certain events in my life. 

Children, I wouldn’t say frequently, but I use their presence to reflect on the things we lose as we grow: our trust, wonder, and unfiltered emotions. Together, women and children in my art become symbols of both fragility and strength, silence and power. They help me communicate stories of care, longing, protection, generational memory, and sometimes, hope amid chaos. Their presence is never accidental; it’s a deliberate way of grounding the viewer in what truly matters. 

6. How do you approach the challenge of conveying layered meaning through static imagery as a visual storyteller? 

For me, I start by grounding the work in emotion: what do I want the viewer to feel before they even try to understand the story? Once that emotion is clear, I build layers through symbolic gestures, body language, and material choice. A turned neck, closed eyes, outstretched hands – all these visual cues become part of the narrative. 

I also use repetition, composition, and even negative space to speak without words. For example, “oxymoron”, a single figure duplicated in different poses, can suggest mental conflict or emotional duality. My goal is always to create images that don’t just look interesting—but that linger. I want viewers to see the piece, pause, and feel like it’s speaking directly to something they’ve lived, even if the language is visual. That’s the art of storytelling through stillness. 

7. As an artist with a mastery of the rich interplay between texture and polychromatic visuals, how often do your works reflect the complex boundaries between reality and illusion? 

Very often. My work constantly dances between what is seen and what is felt—between reality and metaphysical. Texture, for me, is a way to ground the piece in something raw and tangible, while colour lets me pull viewers into a more emotional or symbolic space. I use this interplay to blur the boundaries, so you’re never just looking at a person or a scene; you’re encountering their internal world and having a whole new or relived experience. 

I like when the viewer isn’t quite sure whether what they’re seeing is real or imagined. A figure might appear solid, but the surrounding textures or posture suggest something deeper, such as memory, faith, trauma, or desire. This contrast allows me to explore emotional truths that may not be visible on the surface. In that way, my work is not just a reflection of the world as it is, but as it’s felt, remembered, or dreamt, always shifting between presence and perception. 

8. How intentional is your approach in using continuity as a recurring motif in artworks like Genjitsu I and II, and what purpose does it serve in your overall narrative? 

Continuity in my work is always intentional. In pieces like Genjitsu I and II, the repetition of visual elements and themes is my way of extending a conversation. These works are not isolated; each one is a part of a larger emotional and philosophical inquiry about identity, perception, and truth, thus a continual documentation of my existence. 

I use continuity as a motif to suggest that certain struggles, questions, or transformations don’t begin and end in a single frame. They evolve, they echo, and sometimes they return in different forms. 

It also allows me to explore different layers of a single idea, like seeing one truth from multiple angles, because I believe a story is never completely conveyed. While Genjitsu I may focus more on the psychological beliefs of life, Genjitsu II might introduce motion to challenge that belief. The continuity invites the viewer to move through the works slowly, to reflect, and to notice what’s changed and what remains. In the bigger picture, it reflects how memory, emotion, and selfhood are not linear but looping, recurring, and deeply layered. 

9. What are the challenges you’ve come across as a contemporary artist whose creativity and skills sometimes require the necessary complements of online presence and digital visibility? 

One of the biggest challenges is finding balance between the art-making and the fast pace of digital visibility. As an artist, my process is slow, intentional, and emotionally layered, while the internet often rewards speed, trends, and constant output. It can be difficult to keep up with the demand for content without compromising the soul of the work. There’s also the challenge of being understood through a screen; things like texture, scale, and emotional energy sometimes get lost or misinterpreted online. 

Another challenge is learning to navigate algorithms, engagement metrics, and the pressure to “perform” as a brand. While platforms like Instagram and YouTube have helped me connect with a broader audience, there’s always a tension between visibility and vulnerability. I want to be seen, yes, but on my own terms. So the goal has been to use digital tools without letting them reshape the intention behind my work. 

10. You recently completed the Reimagined Hope Residency by Madhouse. Has the experience repositioned your career trajectory as an African contemporary artist? 

Absolutely. The Reimagined Hope Residency was more than just time and space to create; it was a turning point. It gave me the clarity to slow down, reflect, and create from a place of deep honesty and vulnerability. Through the residency, I developed my “Self Portrait” series, which allowed me to explore themes of divine peace, personal growth, and emotional healing in ways I hadn’t fully accessed before while challenging the subjectivity of the biblical character. That process not only stretched me artistically, but also redefined how I wanted to move forward as a storyteller. 

More importantly, it gave me confidence. Being part of a programme that intentionally supports African voices helped me see the value of my work beyond local boundaries. It reminded me that my personal experiences as a Nigerian artist carry universal emotions and that there’s power in telling stories from where I stand. Since then, I’ve been more intentional in how I structure my practice, shaping my next body of work with greater purpose and preparing to engage more meaningfully with galleries, collectors, and curators both locally and globally. So yes, it definitely repositioned my path inwardly and outwardly. 

11. Do you think collaboration plays a significant role in the larger ecosystem of contemporary art today? 

Yes, I believe collaboration is not only significant; it’s necessary. In today’s art world, where art often crosses boundaries between disciplines, cultures, and mediums, collaboration allows for richer, more dynamic work to emerge. It brings new perspectives, techniques, and emotional textures into the creative process. When artists work together, they don’t just share ideas; they challenge and expand each other’s visions. 

As a contemporary African artist, collaboration also helps break the isolation that sometimes comes with creating. It builds bridges across communities and fosters a sense of collective voice and connection, which is needed in a world that’s constantly shifting. Whether it’s a shared exhibition, a residency, or simply exchanging feedback, collaboration deepens the meaning of art. 

12. How often, and how do you reclaim yourself in the midst of divergent, instantaneous inspirations as a visual creative? 

Very often, and it’s become an intentional part of my process. As a visual artist, I’m constantly exposed to a flood of ideas, emotions, and references, especially in the digital age, where inspiration is only a scroll away. While that kind of exposure can be exciting, it can also be overwhelming and distracting. So I make space for myself to reflect. Through writing, praying, sketching, and revisiting older works, and actively asking myself: Why do I create? Who am I speaking to? What truth am I carrying? 

Not every idea gets to take over the canvas. I’ve learnt to pause, filter, and sometimes let go in order to protect the emotional clarity and depth I want in my work. In that way, I stay grounded in my own visual language, even while remaining open to growth because inspiration is everywhere, but identity has to be cultivated from within. 

13. Who or what would you cite as your most profound source of artistic inspiration or influence? 

My most profound source of inspiration is life itself, especially the emotional journey that comes with navigating identity, struggle, and hope as a Nigerian. But if I had to narrow it down, I’d say my greatest influences come from two places: my faith in God and the resilience of everyday people. There’s something deeply moving about the way people carry beauty, pain, and purpose in their own way, and I try to mirror that complexity in my work. 

Artistically, I’m also drawn to the visual languages of Renaissance masters, the rawness of African art traditions, and the expressive freedom in contemporary storytelling. I believe art has the power to restore, to reveal, and to reflect truth. That belief has been my compass, guiding me to create not just what I see, but what I deeply feel and believe. 

14. Among your body of works, is there a particular piece that stands out as a personal favourite or milestone? 

Yes, that will be THE STRANGER AT MY DOORSTEP, which holds a very special place in my heart. It marked a moment of overcoming the fear of being seen. The work was born out of a memory and intent to encapsulate time and moment, and it felt like the culmination of everything I’d been carrying emotionally and creatively. 

15. Finally, do you have a dream project or visionary concept that you hope to work on in the near future? 

Yes, one of my dream projects is to create a large-scale solo exhibition titled WE DIE HERE, a deeply emotional and visual reflection on the survival of Nigerian youth, mentally, spiritually, and physically. It explores the tension between ambition and exhaustion, faith and disillusionment, chaos and clarity. The works will embody themes like hustle culture, identity fragmentation, and emotional resilience, using figures, textures, and symbolic forms rooted in both tradition and contemporary struggle. 

I want it to be more than an exhibition. I envision it as an immersive experience that draws people into both the personal and collective psyche of our generation. It would be a space where storytelling, sound, and visual art intersect, allowing audiences not just to see the work, but to feel it. Ultimately, my dream is to take that project beyond gallery walls and into communities, institutions, and international spaces where it can spark conversation, healing, and connection. 

—Interview by Adedeji Adebusuyi Raphael