Mascots and Parade

by Olanrewaju Abiola

Biography

Olanrewaju Victor Abiola (b. 2000) is a multidisciplinary visual artist hailing from Ibadan, Nigeria. His practice escalates across various mediums, from pencil drawings to digitally projected installations. Abiola’s experimental approach enables the dissection of domestic dialogues into simpler representations using illustrated metaphors, while reorienting the meaning of those familiar occurrences.

Abiola’s practice has been greatly influenced by his constant collision between the metropolitan and rural districts of Ibadan, one of the largest cities in west Africa. Being the last child of three, to middle class City planning Architect, and Banker parents, his early creative enthusiasm was summoned by being surrounded with architectural blueprints and sketches from the shelves in his father’s home studio, and computer gadgets provided by his mother. Growing up in a mega city filled with a diversified distribution of class occupying common spaces, he had a uniform exposure to cultural influences such as music, fashion, lingo, and religious beliefs which has been reflected in art practice.

Abiola fulfilled his elementary and secondary education in Ibadan before relocating to Treaty 1 territory, in the country colonially known as Canada, for his tertiary education. He is currently completing his studies at the School of Arts, University of Manitoba where he dives through a wide range of creative visual languages. The artist is a recipient of multiple provincial art awards in Manitoba and Ontario, has also been involved in group exhibitions in those provinces.

Artist Statement

“Mascots and Parade” exposes the notion of self neglect through metaphorical illustrations of domestic dialogues. It encompasses the idea that individuals are being distracted by the role cosplaying as they navigate through societal exchanges. The exhausting simulation imposed upon society at large has forced many to subconsciously take on a different identity quite unnatural to their true selves, while being a symbol of those false identities. The contemporary societal dialogue appears to be a stampede of subconscious performance epidemic to the working class, causing a decline in emotional and intellectual well being. The exhibition consists of mostly figurative paintings and drawings, representing metaphorical interpretations through the artist’s optic.

Sponsored by: Portage Vision Services