Adewale Kolawole John
Nigeria | Sept - Oct 2025
Adewale Kolawole John is a visual artist born and raised in Ibadan, Nigeria. His practice is rooted in an exploration of Yoruba traditional music, with a particular focus on juju and its cultural legacies. Through painting, he creates rich, textured portraits that often depict Yoruba musicians in traditional clothing, capturing not only their likeness but also the spirit and atmosphere of the sounds they produce. Adewale’s work is deeply informed by archival research and personal encounters with music, record sleeves, and performance histories, which he translates into layered compositions on canvas. By drawing inspiration from Yoruba soundscapes, he situates his practice at the intersection of memory, heritage, and contemporary visual expression.