Ayanwale Joseph Oluwafemi

Bolatito (The Sanctification That Brings Joy)

2024

Oluwafemi Joseph Ayanwale, a diversified artist in painting and sculpture was born in February 1999. Having started his preliminary and secondary education in Ogbomosho, Oyo state. He furthered his academic pursuit at Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo State from the year 2013 to 2016 for an NCE program where he studied English language and Christian Religious Studies. However, an insatiable desire for “Art” channeled his steps to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile –Ife where he studied and practiced Fine and Applied Arts with a specialty in Painting from the year 2016 to 2021. To showcase his creative skill, he participated in several art exhibitions, “Ifectivity” exhibition which was held in Obafemi Awolowo University in the year 2016 and ’17 respectively, and the “Life in my city exhibition (Limcaf)”, the year 2021 and “Variant” 2022, Open Studio (Welders Cathedral) 2022. His style of painting is attributed to Araism, an art style that concentrates on creative wonder as popularized by Mufu Onifade, a frontline painter in Araism. Also, Segun Fagorusi and Alade Ifeoluwa were a major influence on the painting expertise of Oluwafemi Joseph Ayanwale during an internship training at their studios respectively. His love for sculpture was well gratified by the possibilities of medium exploration pitched through painting which was further enhanced during his internship training with Dotun Popoola, a notable metal sculptor. Oluwafemi Joseph Ayanwale sees Art as a way of life; he notes, “We do Art, we eat with Art, our entire existence is centered on Art, it is a way of life. The artist’s perspective on exploring art is evident in his works focusing on the themes of beauty, individual uniqueness, and hope.