"Identify" Painting

Ayandare Adeniran Ayanmuyiwa

Ayandare Adeniran Ayanmuyiwa is a Nigerian contemporary visual artist based in Ibadan, Nigeria. His practice explores Yoruba identity, cultural memory, spirituality, resilience, and the complexities of human experience through painting and drawing.

Rooted in Yoruba visual culture, traditional symbolism, and everyday observation, Ayandare develops a contemporary visual language that brings indigenous references into dialogue with modern life. A recurring motif in his work is the Sekere, a traditional Yoruba musical instrument, which he reimagines as a symbolic representation of the human head. Through this motif, he reflects on identity, consciousness, memory, hope, and the enduring relationship between cultural heritage and contemporary existence.

His visual vocabulary also draws from Ori Olokun, African masks, nature, and personal experiences, combining symbolic forms with figurative and expressive approaches. Rather than simply reproducing traditional imagery, Ayandare seeks to reinterpret and transform these cultural references, allowing them to carry new meanings within a contemporary artistic context.

He studied Special Education and Fine and Applied Arts at the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo State, Nigeria. He has participated in exhibitions and creative programmes in Nigeria and has facilitated art workshops.

Ayandare's practice is grounded in an ongoing exploration of how indigenous Yoruba visual language can be reimagined for the present—preserving the memory and significance embedded within the culture while creating new ways of speaking about identity, humanity, and contemporary life.