Oladélé Ajiboyé Bamgboyé

Oladélé Ajiboyé Bamgboyé is widely recognized as one of the most captivating and promising young artists from Africa.

Biography of Oladélé Ajiboyé Bamgboyé

Oladélé Ajiboyé Bamgboyé was born in 1963 in Nigeria. He spent a significant part of his life in Glasgow, where he established his residence and pursued formal education in Chemical and Process Engineering. Currently, Bamgboyé resides and works in London. To further deepen his understanding and mastery of his craft, he pursued a Master of Arts degree in Media Art Theory and Practice from the esteemed Slade College of Art.

Oladélé Ajiboyé Bamgboyé's art style

Oladélé Bamgboyé's artistic focus revolves around the embodiment of diaspora, delving into the rich history of African studio-portrait photography. Within this captivating realm, the studio becomes a space for staging fantasies of self-expression. 

Oladélé Ajiboyé Bamgboyé works with a variety of mediums, ranging from traditional photographic practices, and the moving image.

Exhibitions of Oladélé Ajiboyé Bamgboyé

"Accrochage" is an exhibition featuring the works of Oladélé Ajiboyé Bamgboyé, Vuk Ćosić, Emil Halmos, Anne Minich, Yamini Nayar, and Aditi Singh. The French term "accrochage," meaning 'hanging,' alludes to the act of arranging and presenting various artworks in a cohesive manner.

One of the notable pieces within this exhibition is a large-scale black-and-white self-portrait by Oladélé Ajiboyé Bamgboyé. In this captivating artwork, Bamgboyé invites viewers to witness a moment of introspection staged in his domestic interior. 

The Unmasking, Part II

Oladélé Ajiboyé Bamgboyé's thought-provoking exhibition, "The Unmasking, Part II," encompasses a multi-dimensional exploration of objects, cultural significance, and the establishment of hierarchies. It incorporates various mediums and technologies.

One video channel, displayed on an iMac, documents the British Museum's relocation of its Egyptian collection and the stored items of the Yoruba art collection at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary. The second channel showcases Bamgboyé scanning antique objects that, due to not meeting prescribed requirements of form and style, are in storage at the San Antonio Museum in Texas. These videos evoke a strong sense of place, time, and memory, shedding light on the structures that establish and maintain a hierarchy of objects based on cultural significance. 

Complementing the technological elements of the exhibition, the photo works "ARISE I" and "ARISE II" from 1989 feature phoenix-like images of the artist's nude body. Photographed from behind against a fabric printed with ears of corn, symbolizing fertility, the images create a captivating visual display resembling a sea of fire.

Artistic Achievements and Recognition

Oladélé Ajiboyé Bamgboyé's artistic endeavors have garnered recognition, and his work has been featured in prominent international exhibitions. Some notable exhibitions that have showcased his talent include the following:

• "In/sight: African Photographers, 1940 to the Present" (1996) at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
• "Alternating Currents" (1997) at the Johannesburg Biennale in Johannesburg, South Africa.
• Documenta X (1997) in Kassel, Germany.
• Mostra Africana de Arte Contemporanea Videobrasil (2000) in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
• "Intelligence, New British Art" (2000) at Tate Britain in London, UK.