Artist Statement

Abidemi Olowonira is a Nigerian-born assemblage artist based in Brooklyn, NY. He received his BFA and MFA in Houston, Texas. His work has been shown around the world, including the Sika Art Fair in Dubai and the Guangzhou Museum of Fine Arts in China, and in 2019 was awarded the Elle Decor Designer of the Year Award for his collaboration with luxury rug maker Kyle Bunting. Largely utilizing recycled hides in his work, Abidemi Olowonira explores the nuances of oral histories and mythologies carried down through generations. In addition, he studies the dissemination of mythologies from varying cultures, finding startling similarities. Olowonira also uses his work to navigate cultural complexity such as heritage and displacement. He is currently investigating the dynamically complex Yoruba culture and its migration and influences in the diaspora.