"Restrained" Artwork

Biography

Oluwafemi Akanmu is a multitalented mixed-media artist born in 1994 in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria. He completed his basic and elementary education in Ogbomoso before pursuing tertiary studies at Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, where he earned a National Certificate in Education (NCE) in Fine and Applied Arts.

Driven by a lifelong passion for art, Akanmu chose art as a career from an early age. His formal training, combined with years of continuous practice and professional experience, has greatly influenced his artistic expression and visual language. During his time in college, he specialized in painting and graphics and further developed his skills while working as a studio assistant at Raph Basic Art Studio. This experience played a significant role in shaping his distinctive mixed-media style.

Akanmu’s works explore themes drawn from life experiences, everyday activities, historical narratives, memories, and imagination. His practice reflects a deep engagement with African identity and lived realities, translated through expressive compositions and textured surfaces.



Artist Statement

Through my art, I intentionally highlight the richness of African culture and its enduring beauty, with particular emphasis on the dignity and elegance of Black identity. My works draw from African history, traditions, and lived experiences, narrating stories of resilience, heritage, and communal life.

My practice is rooted in hope. I create to inspire underprivileged African families and homeless children, affirming that hope remains possible regardless of circumstance. Alongside this, I depict the warmth and optimism found within African homes spaces filled with love, endurance, and aspiration.

As a native African artist shaped by humble beginnings and modern artistic education, my work is deeply connected to the realities of everyday Black life. My visual language is guided by foundational values such as love, hope, nature, culture, rites, traditions, courage, humility, and serenity.

My artistic exploration spans still life, portraiture, nature, abstraction, and mixed-media compositions.



Inspiration

My paintings are inspired by an unquenchable desire to preserve and project African culture onto the global stage. Through my work, I seek to create beauty that uplifts the spirit, heals emotional wounds, and emphasizes love, peace, and hopeful coexistence.