Ayanfe Olarinde Nigerian, b. 1996

Ayanfe Olarinde (born 1996) is a self taught multimedia visual artist. She obtained a BSc. in Microbiology from the University of Lagos in 2018. Her journey into art stems from her love of scribbling, a process through which she is able to unpack her emotions in playful and intriguing ways, whilst speaking on broader issues of self exploration as well as the stories that often are untold. Ayanfe's forms of expressions have evolved to include photography and mixed media collages, and the underlying theme through her all works is the interrogation of society and governance. She has participated in multiple group exhibitions, and her works have been written about in publications such as NowThis News, CNN, Euro news, Konbini, and RADR Africa to name a few.

 

Emoting through the ranging thickness of her scribbling, Ayanfe finds harmony in crooked lines, which for her, has become a skillset forged from the heat of frustration along the path to self-discovery. Through her art, she makes crooked lines into something meaningful, a metaphor which she believes relates life and its ability to create beauty out of imperfection. A self proclaimed explorer, Ayanfe is always seeking new mediums and means of expression, and gathers inspiration from personal experiences, her immediate society, and music. Through the dynamic nature of her works, she connects her viewers to multiples perspectives of the themes addressed. Ayanfe aims, through her art, to advocate for the marginalized, raise awareness, and impact the society for good.