Kornfeld Galerie Berlin is delighted to present a captivating selection of works by the talented Nigerian artist Olasunkanmi Akomolehin at ARTHOUSE Basel. Coinciding with the Art Basel fair, this exhibition offers an exclusive glimpse into Akomolehin's vibrant artistry.

Liberate Confined Emotion

Olasunkanmi Akomolehin, born in 1995 in Lagos, is a Nigerian artist who started his art journey at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic before proceeding to pursue a Higher National Diploma Degree in Painting at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Nigeria. His work narrates stories of the past, present, and future.

Akomolehin creates works that reflect on his personal life and lived experiences in modern-day Nigeria. The central themes in his art are identity, mental health, and wellness.

In his work, the artist hopes to bring to the fore how much we are meant to value memories and moments as they pass us by, the value they will hold for us in a future. No matter how good or how bad a given moment is, it still constitutes life, a living piece of art. Life’s beauty lies in life’s complexities. Akomolehin’s naturalist and maximalist portraits of contemporary Black figures are often distorted and heavily backdropped by vibrantly coloured floral patterns.To the artist, creating his works is a meditative practice in which he explores the human condition in all its colourful array. He sees painting as the true expression of the artist’s soul on the canvas. In essence, Olasunkanmi Akomolehin’s paintings intend to liberate confined emotion.