Tunji Adeniyi-Jones

Tunji Adeniyi-Jones is a British-Nigerian artist born in London in 1992, known for his vibrant figurative paintings that explore themes of diasporic identity, Yoruba mythology, the Black body, and contemporary representation. He lives and works between London and New York. He graduated from the Ruskin School of Art (University of Oxford), where he received a BA in 2013, and from the Yale School of Art, where he received an MFA in painting and printmaking in 2017. His rigorous academic training informs a practice rooted in Western art history while engaging with West African visual traditions.

Influenced by Yoruba mythology, Nigerian spiritual narratives, and artists such as Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Kerry James Marshall, and Chris Ofili, Tunji Adeniyi-Jones has developed a unique pictorial language characterized by stylized Black figures, often in motion, within rhythmic compositions of intense palettes. His work engages with contemporary figuration, narrative painting, and the reappropriation of African imagery . He primarily uses acrylic and oil paint on canvas, working with color, pattern, and space in a theatrical manner.

He has presented notable solo exhibitions, including “Get Up, Stand Up Now" (2019) at the Saatchi Gallery in London (a major group exhibition celebrating 50 years of Black British creativity), and solo exhibitions at international galleries such as the Nicelle Beauchene Gallery in New York. In 2023, he was honored with an institutional solo exhibition at the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California, marking a significant milestone in his international recognition. His work has also been included in group exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) and the FLAG Art Foundation in New York.

Her works are featured in major public collections, including the Dallas Museum of Art and the Baltimore Museum of Art, confirming her central role in the renewal of contemporary figurative painting and the representation of Black bodies in current art. Through her dynamic compositions and scenes with mythological overtones, Tunji Adeniyi-Jones actively participates in redefining visual narratives related to Africa and its diaspora, establishing herself as a major voice on the international art scene. Sources: Artsy; Artnet; Yale School of Art; Saatchi Gallery; Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens; Dallas Museum of Art; Baltimore Museum of Art.