Oluwafemi Afolabi

Oluwafemi Afolabi is a Nigerian artist known as "the Chiropteran Painter." A native of Ogbomoso South, Oyo State, he was born in Northern Nigeria where he began his early education before returning to his hometown to complete his schooling.

Oluwafemi’s journey into art began informally after secondary school as a trainee in Graphics and Sign Writing at Mide Print in Oyo Town. He later studied at Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo, graduating in 2017 as a Painting and Graphic Specialist. He has also earned a Bachelor’s degree in Fine and Applied Arts from Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU.

His paintings are known for their expressive figurative style and recurring bat imagery. The bat comes from his childhood in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, where it became both a source of survival and a metaphor for endurance. Inspired by his mother’s Yoruba proverb, “Tí ó bá kù ọwọ́ kan àdán, á fi ro igi ni”—“If a bat has only one hand left, it will still hold onto the tree.” — the bat in his work represents resilience, adaptability, and hope.

Ankara fabric is equally central to his practice. It honors his mother’s sacrifice and dignity, transforming everyday textile into a visual language of love, endurance, and African identity.

Throug...

Emmanuel Alayande College of Education Oyo State. 2017.
Obafemi Awolowo University. 2023.

Exhibitions & Catalogues

2026
• Unseen Perspectives “A Celebration of African Art”, Shoreditch, London UK
• The Coalition "Africa's largest art exhibition", Ibadan Nigeria.
• Affordableartfair, Battersea Park London UK

2025
• AIMASIKO "Ignorance of divine timing" Group Art Exhibition, National Museum, Ibadan Nigeria.
• West African Visual Art Exhibition, London UK

2024
• Hampstead Big Fair, London, UK
• Hampstead Summer Festival, London, UK
• Thing of Beauty, London, UK
• Art Fair, Ibadan, Nigeria

2023
• Life In My City Art Festival (LIMCAF), Enugu, Nigeria
• Inside Out: See Beyond Seeing, Ondo State, Nigeria

2022
• Art Fair “Chronicle”, Ondo State, Nigeria
• Forgotten Identity, Artsy Online Exhibition
• Fashion: An Instant Language, Artsy Online Exhibition
• Life In My City Art Festival (LIMCAF), Enugu, Nigeria
• Arnheim Collection Art Exhibition, Ibadan, Nigeria

2021
• Life In My City Art Festival (LIMCAF), Ibadan, Nigeria
• LASGIDI Art Exhibition, Lagos, Nigeria