Babajide Olatunji
Babajide Olatunji (b. 1989, Portharcourt, Nigeria) is a self-taught, full-time artist. He has been working at Kindred Studios since he moved to London two years ago.
Olatunji works in the genres of hyperrealism and trompe l’œil, which he creates using acrylics, charcoal, coal, and pastels. He also draws inspiration from works by Old Masters of European art history, including Caravaggio, Rembrandt Van Rijn and Johannes Vermeer, focusing on their use of shadow and light. Represented by TAFETA Gallery, his moving, large-scale paintings have been acquired by the Mott-Warsh Collection in Michigan, the Bank of England Museum, as well as private collections in Switzerland, London, Lagos, Istanbul and New York.
Babajide’s Tribal Marks Series are a collection of 'hyperrealist' portraits informed by the artists’ extensive research into the cultural practice of facial markings as well as interactions and discussions with carriers of these marks. At Kindred Studios he regularly participates in the studio tours and mentoring programme, offering young creatives a real-world experience of a professional art practice.