Tunji Adeniyi-Jones

Tunji Adeniyi-Jones is a contemporary British artist known for his vibrant and dynamic paintings that explore themes of identity and race. He completed his BA in Fine Art at the Camberwell College of Arts in 2016 and his MA in Painting at the Royal College of Art in 2018.

Adeniyi-Jones' work is influenced by his experiences growing up in two distinct cultures and explores the complexities of identity and representation. He often uses bold colors and gestural brushstrokes to create lively and expressive compositions. Adeniyi-Jones' work has been exhibited widely in the UK and internationally, including at the Saatchi Gallery and the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

Tunji Adeniyi-Jones is an artist whose work is heavily influenced by his Yoruba heritage and the ancient history of West Africa. Born and educated in the UK, he currently lives and works in the USA. Adeniyi-Jones begins his creative process by exploring his imagery through studies in ink pen or watercolor on paper, before reworking them in multi-panel paintings that depict figures in small groups or pairs. His paintings are set within a flat, shallow space, incorporating the overlapping planes of Cubism, the colorful papier découpé of Matisse, and the narratives and symbolism of West Africa.

Adeniyi-Jones uses the black body as both a narrative instrument and a primary communication tool, addressing the black body's perception within Western painting and its association with physicality. He emphasizes the importance of dance and body language in African culture, situating the figure at the fulcrum of contemporary diasporic identity. Adeniyi-Jones also locates his paintings within a specifically Nigerian cultural landscape, incorporating the post-Colonial writing and painting of Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, and Amos Tutuola. His aim is for his photographs to serve as a visual accompaniment to this cultural lineage.