Ade Odunfa is a Nigerian experimental artist whose unique style of painting on vintage textiles has earned him a keen following. For the past 25 years Odunfa has worked as a painter, sculptor, furniture designer, and creator of impressive large scale installations and sculptural commissions in public places for the Lagos@50 project. His fascination with art and performance led him to work as creative director of the Lagos Carnival from 2008 to 2015, designing and building the large colorful floats which expressed the spirit of Nigerian cultural heritage with contemporary aesthetic.
Odunfa’s passion for art started in early childhood, leading him to train as a graphic designer at Hunters Publicity in Lagos after high school, before pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria. He graduated in 1998 with a specialization in painting, and has exhibited regularly with the Iponri Art Studios, The Society of Nigeria Artists (SNA), Terra Kulture, Thought Pyramid Art Centre Abuja, Notting Hill Carnival, Calabar Carnival and many more for the past 25 years. Odunfa is a gifted portrait artist, juxta-posing his subtle, minimalist style against unusual textured surfaces using lace fabric, belts, spoons and other found objects. His fascination with painting equestrian scenes was influenced by the traditional Durbar festival in Northern Nigeria which he enjoyed documenting as a young artist.
Odunfa is also passionate about mentoring and inspiring young artists. He is the founder of ‘Faces and Phases,’ a non-profit art initiative which offers training programs to develop the artistic skills of young Nigerians while providing an important platform for them to exhibit their creativity to a wider audience.