Toju Clarke, born Favour Toritseju Clarke is a Nigerian sgraffito artist whose unique pieces come alive when scratched out.
Growing up in Lagos, 6 years old Toju was mostly found in his father’s studio either playing or admiring stunning pieces.
His introduction to arts at a tender age led to his immerse interest and study of arts, with a diploma in fine arts and a higher diploma in graphic design.
As an artist who wanted to have intriguing and unparalleled pieces, Toju kept exploring and experimenting till he found “Sgraffito”, a technique that resonates and simultaneously challenges him to delve deeper into his creative domain.
Greatly inspired by the people in his inner circle, surroundings and most of all the need to protect his mental health, has led to the creation of some astounding body of works which have given him the opportunity to have his works exhibited in countries like USA, UK, Senegal and his home country Nigeria.
Bent on making the most out of his life as an artist, Toju hopes and works towards a fulfilling career, one that’ll leave a lasting impact for years to come.
This is one of the major reasons why he wants his audience to always feel nostalgic and a strong sense of belonging when viewing his works, because behind every piece created is a secret message which says “I see and feel what you’re going through, you’re not alone, so cheer up and stay hopeful”. This is the message he communicates to viewers without words but rather stunning sgraffito strokes.
At the end of the day, Toritseju wants to break the boundaries of the ancient sgraffito painting techniques while creating awareness on mental health, culture, environment, identity and lifestyle.
CREATIVE FACTORY ✍🏼🖼 