Tosin Paul Ajayi is a Nigerian auto ethnographic visual artist born in May 1998 in Akure. Finalizing his decision to pursue arts at age 17 was foreseeable as he began drawing stick figures at age 4.
This was solidified when he studied fine and applied arts with a major in painting and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2021, making him a master of his craft.
Paul’s auto ethnographic style stems from his deep connection with his childhood and believes using simple shapes and stick figures has a way of making him relive childhood memories but most importantly, he feels “everything in nature has form, be it basic or organic so simplifying my subjects into shapes only feels natural while serving as a means of fueling my creativity”.
Ajayi is greatly inspired by his own experiences, that of people close to him and above all, curiosity. He explained that,” curiosity is my biggest inspiration, the urge to learn, discover and understand new things especially with regards to my cultural traditions”.
Discoveries from such curious researches have birthed the stunning artworks attributed to Tosin.
As a thriving artist, Ajayi has participated in 11 exhibitions, 10 in Nigeria and 1 online exhibition in the USA.
A few years from now, “I see myself advancing as an artist while continuing to use my art as a form of research and a means of cultural preservation. I hope to have covered 47% of my research focus, creating awareness around my cultural identity and African traditions that risk being forgotten, focusing on reviving and celebrating cultural identity through my art”.
Paul hopes viewers don’t miss the beauty of cultural awareness, importance of identity and a reflection of the vibrancy of life whenever they come across his pieces.
“Even if we all can’t be painters, we must always endeavor to carry the stories that form part of our cultural identity with us everywhere we go”.
Ajayi’s ultimate goal is to become a cultural custodian who preserves and showcases his rich cultural heritage through his pieces and that’s what he will keep doing till the day he decides to drop his brushes.
CREATIVE FACTORY ✍🏼🖼 