7Beauties, 2023

Akanji Bolaji  

Akanji Bolaji (b. 1991) is a multi-disciplinary artist born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. His overall practice involves painting, 3D modelling, and mural painting. As a full-time studio artist, his artistic practice highlights narratives that surround Man and his environment concerning its cultural experiences. His specialization is mainly on painting using acrylics and oil mediums to create narratives around stories and experiences he finds intriguing to represent. His works feature cow patterns and organic layers of strokes and depth, he loves to bring forth the aesthetic quality of his imagination into visual consciousness.

Akanji is inspired by nature, surrealism, pop arts, his art contemporaries and major pop and surrealist figures like Yayoi Kusama, Salvador Dali, Jeff Koon, Takashi Murakami, and Andy Warhol. Their influences have shaped his stylistic representation, his stylized twist or infusion of pop surrealism, pop abstraction as well as contemporary mannerism. His approach to painting is to capture the layers of surreal effect around the perfect and the imperfection of human narratives and aesthetics. He believes his artistic background shouldn't be limited to canvas works, hence, he aspires to have a growing influence as a brand for brands, he hopes to become a visual influencer with his artistic style, by offering Art with utilized beauty to public space, restaurants, fashion house, and home-brand products. His dream is to join the league of pop cultural artists, and he hopes to see his African dream as a Lagos boy coming true.

Akanji Bolaji has involved himself in many Group Exhibitions and Mural projects, notable ones are Spanish Embassy Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition, Nigeria (2012, 2015, 2022), Creative Debuts Show and Exhibition, London (2018), Finalist in British Council Art Showcase (2019), World University of Design Art Competition and Exhibition, India (2020), BoldBrush Art Contest Top FAV15, U.S.A (2022), High-Art Competition and Group Exhibition, California (2022), featured as freelance mural artist in Nigeria Reality TV Show: Big Brother Naija (2020,2021,2022), Online Group Exhibition 2023: "Bitter and Sweet memories" on Artsy, "The Show Will Go On" Virtual Exhibition- Harmer Gallery 2023, Art Shopping Artfair (Carrousel du Louvre) Paris by Muskaw Art house 2023.