Moyosore Jolaolu
Moyosore Jolaolu is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Lagos.
Moyosore Jolaolu is one of ArtConnect’s Artists to Watch '23
Moyosore Jolaolu is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Lagos, Nigeria. He obtained a Higher National Diploma in Graphics Design from Yaba College of Technology (2017). His works intend to amplify the astonishment of the spectator by creating compositions or settings that generate tranquil poetic images that leave traces and balances on the edge of recognition and alienation.
His works hinge on his life as a black artist in his current environment, he paints in a mindscape, which fiction and reality meet: well-known tropes merge, meanings shift, past and present fuse. Time and memory always play a key role in his works. He makes art as a way to understand time, and routine in relation to culture and societal norms, as well as conflict and resolution. By applying a poetic and often metaphorical language, he uses a visual vocabulary that addresses many different social and political issues. The work incorporates time as well as space – a fictional and experiential universe that only emerges bit by bit.
ArtConnect asked the winning artists to share with us a glimpse into their creative life to get a sense of their personal inspiration and artistic process.
How would you describe your artistic style and what inspires your work?
Moyosore artistic style is primarily focused on capturing the nuances of human emotions, behaviors, and relationships. Moyosore appears to have a keen interest in exploring the complexities of human experience and how society deals with challenges. Despite these challenges, the artist's work seems to celebrate the resilience and beauty of human nature. Moyosore's artistic style also appears to be characterized by a focus on personal expression and a desire to share his own views and feelings through his work. This is reflected in the use of colors and compositions that bring different aspects of the human experience to life. Overall, Moyosore's art seems to be an exploration of the many layers of human life, both on an individual and cultural level. By paying close attention to the way people feel, act, and relate to each other, Moyosore's art encourages viewers to think deeply about their own experiences and to appreciate the richness and diversity of human nature.
Kisito Assangni
Curator
“The human subjects of Moyosore Jolaolu are variously depicted as playful, holding the viewer’s gaze, as though letting them in on a secret of a surprising pop sensibility. His paintings illuminate the beauty and resilience of the human spirit and inspire others to embrace their own unique perspectives and experiences.”
How has your work evolved over time?
In the past I had focused on portraiture, and focusing on the beauty of the African people, using an artistic signature of exaggerated lips to highlight this, but over time I have found out that there is more to our colourful nature as "humans" all over the world that needs to be showcased. Therefore telling the stories of others and myself from my point of view as a Nigerian man navigating the spaces of others in a somewhat colourful manner, regardless of the situations we find ourselves in.
What message or emotion do you hope to convey through your art?
I believe that life is all about chaos and balance, and would love to help the viewers of my art understand that life in itself needs to be experienced in full. and also in that experience, understand that the chaos needs the balance to thrive and vice versa, in doing that they would get to acknowledge the strength and beauty of human nature, despite its flaws and paradoxes.
See more of Moyosore’s work
