Cyril - Oluwamuyiwa Emmanuel

Cyril Oluwamuyiwa Emmanuel (b. 1995) is a conceptual artist and filmmaker based in Lagos, Nigeria. Self-taught, with a background in engineering, his multidisciplinary practice spans painting, sculpture, film, and performance, drawing on Yoruba heritage, Egyptian symbolism, and sustainable materials like charcoal, palm oil, and found objects.

Central to his work is his alter ego, X the Villain; a bandaged figure concealing scars from a traumatic past, now a symbol of resilience and survival. In 2023, he created 366 artworks in 366 days, a durational performance responding to mental health. His work has been collected internationally and exhibited widely.

2011 - 2018 Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) - Ile-Ife, Osun, Nigeria.
B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering

2024 EbonyLife Creative Academy (ELCA) - Film School, Lagos, Nigeria.
Directing - The Director’s Toolkit

Selected Exhibitions:
• 2026 Group Exhibition, Marea Gallery
• 2026 Group Exhibition, Artphoria Collective
• 2025 Open Studio Exhibition, X Studios
• 2025 Group Exhibition, Chaos Club
• 2023 Group Exhibition, Belgrade Art Residency
• 2023 Group exhibition, Shodex Art Gallery
• 2023 Group exhibition, Alte Cultural Festival