Oluwafemi Afolabi is a Nigerian contemporary painter whose works explore resilience, motherhood, survival, and identity through the symbolic use of bats and Ankara fabric. Born in Northern Nigeria and originally from Ogbomoso, Oyo State, his artistic journey is deeply rooted in personal history, memory, and cultural experience.
His introduction to art began informally after secondary school while training in graphic design and sign writing at Mide Print in Oyo Town. Driven by a lifelong passion for visual storytelling, he later studied Painting and Graphic Arts at Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo, graduating in 2017, and further obtained a degree in Fine and Applied Arts from Obafemi Awolowo University.Oluwafemi’s paintings are recognized for their expressive figurative style and recurring bat imagery, a symbol drawn from his childhood experiences in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State.
Equally significant in his paintings is Ankara fabric, which symbolizes sacrifice, dignity, and motherhood. His mother’s constant use of Ankara as an affordable yet elegant fabric became a lasting reminder of her selflessness and determination to provide for her children after the loss of his father. In Oluwafemi’s work, each Ankara pattern is carefully and meticulously painted and is transformed from ordinary textile into a visual language of love, endurance, and cultural pride.
Through layered compositions, symbolic figures, and emotionally charged narratives, Oluwafemi creates paintings that speak to overlooked lives and everyday struggles while emphasizing hope, perseverance, and human strength. His works invite viewers into stories of survival, emotional connection, and the quiet heroism often found within African homes and communities.
Artist Statement
My art is a reflection of memory, survival, and human resilience. I explore stories that are often overlooked: stories of sacrifice, motherhood, struggle, hope, and identity.
The recurring bat in my work is not a symbol of fear, but of endurance. It comes from my childhood experiences and from a Yoruba proverb my mother shared with me during one of the most difficult seasons of our lives: “If a bat has only one hand left, it will still hold onto the tree.” That philosophy shaped my understanding of survival and continues to guide my practice.
Ankara fabric also plays an important role in my paintings. Beyond its beauty, it represents my mother’s sacrifices, her decision to live simply so her children could have a better future. In my work, Ankara becomes a symbol of dignity, love, sacrificial, and intentional motherhood.
As an introverted person, painting became my voice and my way of connecting with the world. My figures, textures, and symbols are created to encourage those who feel unseen, discouraged, or burdened by life’s realities. I want my work to remind people that even in uncertainty, hope can still survive.
Inner Nature 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women on African Fabric
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. “Your mind knows...
Canvas, Acrylic
Soft Souls - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Expressionism, Africa Women
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"There is a language spoken only in the space between us— a calm that holds our truths without demanding words. In that quiet, we find understanding, we find safety, we find each oth...
Canvas, Acrylic
Sisters in Yellow 3
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. A sister is a gi...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,100
Insight 5 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women, African Fabric
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Where your focus goes, your energy flows. Fix your gaze on growth, not on fear; on progress, not on perfection; on the path ahead, not the distractions beside you. Shipping Procedur...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,000
Love Without Fear: 21st Century Contemporary Acrylic Painting on Canvas
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Love, with its intense emotions and vulnerabilities, has long been a subject of exploration in art. The artwork titled "Love without Fear," created by the talented artist Oluwafemi Afolabi...
Canvas, Acrylic
Becoming Light: 21st Century Contemporary Figurative Acrylic Painting of a Woman
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
She is no longer searching for light — she has become it. Every trial has turned to color, every scar into quiet radiance. What once felt heavy now shines through her with calm grace...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,100
Insight 4 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women, African Fabric
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
We can predict the present without having to know everything about the past. Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,100
Insight 6 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women, African Fabric
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Do not scatter your mind on what you cannot change. Focus instead on what you can build, and watch your life transform. Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeri...
Canvas, Acrylic
Timeless Radiance -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women, African Fabric
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
True light is not measured in years, nor dimmed by the passing of time, but shines in the soul’s eternal glow—radiance that transcends seasons, generations, and even memory itself. ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Inner Nature 3 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women on African Fabric
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
“Listen to your inner nature… for it is a deep and powerful source of wisdom, beauty and truth, ever flowing through you… Learn to trust it, trust your intuition, and in good time, a...
Canvas, Acrylic
Deborah
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell and got back up again." I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. “The peasantry ceased, they ceas...
Canvas, Acrylic
Sisters in Yellow 1
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"I cherish our memories and the bond we share. My love for you is like a precious gem, shining bright and always treasured." Romans 12:10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor on...
Canvas, Acrylic
Omidan
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Omidan a yoruba name for a young woman or damsel. Omidan a lady with virtues My gaze fixated on the first Her face was dazzling, but not a mirage. Her hair mesmerizes my eyes The p...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,250
Unseen Strength - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Expressionism, Women
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Not all strength makes noise. Some of it is quiet… hidden… steady. If you’re still standing, if you’re still trying, if you haven’t given up that is strength. Even when no one see...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,400
Self Esteem -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, African Fabric, Floral
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
“If you have no confidence in yourself, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started.” Hebrews 10:35–36 “So do not throw aw...
Canvas, Acrylic
Abimbola: 21st Century Contemporary Figurative Acrylic Painting of Africa Woman
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
“Abimbola once thought every drop of her effort had fallen into the sand. But in time, she learned that even the driest soil remembers the rain, and when her season came, everything ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,400
Silent Glow - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women, African Fabric
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Strength is not always measured by the noise we make, the battles we fight in the open, or the weight of the words we speak. Sometimes, true strength is found in stillness—in the gra...
Canvas, Acrylic
Fortitude
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. A difficult time can be more...
Canvas, Acrylic
Inner Nature 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women on African Fabric
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. “Your mind knows...
Canvas, Acrylic
Prayerful Embrace - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women, Child, Fabric
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
In this quiet, intimate moment, Mama and Ayò found peace, their hearts filled with hope and faith. As they prayed, the world outside receded, leaving only the warmth of their love an...
Canvas, Acrylic
Sisters in Yellow 5 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Love African Fabric
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
“Depending on the day, the mood, the weather, or the time of day, a sister can be a companion, an adversary, an enemy or a soulmate.” “So encourage each other and build each other up...
Canvas, Acrylic
$4,000
Good Woman - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women on African Fabric
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
A circle of women may just be the most powerful force known to humanity. If you have one, embrace it. If you need one, seek it. If you find one, for the love of all that is good and ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Sisters in Yellow 4 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Love African Fabric
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. "Often, in old a...
Canvas, Acrylic
Omidan (Maiden) 5
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
If roses are red and violets are blue, Omidan, I want you to be my shoe so that I can always walk in you. In the days of Romeo, was always Juliet. In the days of Alárá, was always Aj...
Canvas, Acrylic
Mystery of Freedom
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
The Yoruba people, who primarily inhabit southwestern Nigeria, boast a rich cultural heritage that spans centuries. Their traditions and customs are marked by a vibrant visual langua...
Canvas, Acrylic
Omidan 6
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
The rhythmic beads on her waist miming to the soft music of the two bilabial mountains flouncing in majesty on her back. I see her and I trance. The curvaceous smile on her face quie...
Canvas, Acrylic
In Love
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." Love? Love? Love is not safe, my lady silk, love is dangerous. It is dec...
Canvas, Acrylic
Makanjuola (Don’t Be in a Hurry for Wealth) - 21st Century, Contemporary, Africa
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
In the soft warmth of an afternoon, a mother gently holds her son’s hand, her eyes steady and full of wisdom. Her voice is calm, but firm, as she tells him: “My child, ‘Akií kánjú tu...
Canvas, Acrylic
Sisters in Yellow 2
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. A sister is a gi...
Canvas, Acrylic
Change and Growth 1
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the thing...
Canvas, Acrylic
Teach Us To Love Ourselves
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Why do we carry hatred in our hearts like a pregnancy of agelong years? Why do we fellowship in the cabals of backbiters when our friends find themselves at the peak of their worlds?...
Canvas, Acrylic
Mindset
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"Remember ye, not former things, neither consider the things of old." Your complaints, your drama, your victim mentality, your whining, your blaming, and all of your excuses have ne...
Canvas, Acrylic
GÈLÈ 1 (Head Tie)
By Oluwafemi Afolabi
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Gele is essentially a type of head tie worn by women in the Western African country of Nigeria. In contrast to the head ties worn in some other African countries, like Ghana, Gele is...
Canvas, Acrylic