Olamide Ogunade
Thanks to his arresting and engaging portrait style that marries detail-dense pen and pencil drawings with poster-esque acrylics and charcoal, Olamide Ogunade is most certainly one of Africa’s most exciting artists with an impressive fanbase in Europe, the U.A.E. and the United States. A fine arts graduate, Ogunade began his artistic journey as a child and in keeping with the hyperreal and hugely detailed style of his artworks, has spent an enormous amount of time honing and developing his craft.
His complex mixed media works are visually exciting, and one only has to get up close and personal with a piece to appreciate its enormity and presence. A definitive and arresting marriage of distinctly African vibrancy and somewhat classic hyperrealism, Ogunade subjects command the viewer to take notice, ponder and question its very existence and the process behind the craftsmanship.
These artworks serve as a powerful reminder that human beings are inherently susceptible to volatility. We navigate through life's ups and downs, knowing that we have the ability to overcome any adversity. Despite the challenges we may face, there is an unwavering belief in the power of resilience. This belief remains true, regardless of the inevitability of our mortality.
Ogunade's signature use of bubbles symbolises purity and the ephemeral nature of the present moment. He recalls his childhood experience of blowing bubbles that would create beautiful, shiny spheres, only to vanish forever after a few seconds. Our minds are often preoccupied with anxiety about the future or lingering regrets from the past, making it difficult to fully embrace the present.
As Ogunade himself explains, detail is the very reason for his art’s being and his artworks are a commentary and an acute exploration of how he views African society – specifically exploring the notions of identity. With this in mind, the artist focuses enormously on true renditions of skin in particular, adding colour with high-fashion, modern details in acrylic and charcoal and his signature, almost comic, bubbles.
