Dolapo Ogunnusi
Dolapo ogunnusi is a renowned mid-careeer contemporary artist whose expansive oeuvre explores a diverse array of media, including oil, acrylic, charcoal, pastel and mixed media. His most recognisable works, mostly rendered in naturalistic style have one distinguishing element; his unconventional approach to applying to acrylic paints with rollers, and sometimes, sweeping palette knife strokes across saw-dust textured grounds. This results in the empty darkness of his canvas piercing through the rich layers of colours in a dazzling contrast. However, in recent times, Ogunnusi seems to be so engrossed in his exploration of transparencies, experimenting with watercolour on papers, occasionally accented with chalk pastel, pen, and charcoal.
His canvas has always been a sequel of his environment, translating human experiences across space and time. Running the gamut between urban and remote spaces, his grounds constantly keep abreast of themes like cultural identity, tranquility, social realities, city life, popular culture, and nostalgia, amongst others.
Born (1975) on the outskirts of Lagos, Nigeria, Dolapo Ogunnusi earned his Higher National Diploma in Painting at the Auchi Polythechnic, Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria (2002). Following his academic training, he would go on to further hone his skills, as a resident artist at the Gallery of Modern Arts, National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, where he garnered recognition for his artistic talent. Notably, in 2008, he won the prestigious Ford Foundation Grant Award, announcing him in the Nigerian art scene with such a remarkable breakthrough. Highly prolific as ever, he currently churns out his creations from the comfort of his private residence, situated at Ayobo, Lagos.
With his debut feature in the 2nd edition of the Society of Nigerian Artists (S.N.A) Café (Aina Onabolu Gallery, 2005), Ogunnusi’s artistic sojourn has been marked by numerous notable exhibitions, including ‘Through Time’, National Museum, Onikan , Lagos (2006), including Ford Foundation Grant Art Exhibition (2008), Center for Contemporary Arts and Culture Exhibition, Chicago (2016), ‘Miniature Art Fair’ by Ogirikan, Lagos (2021), and ‘Screwed’, Luxury Living (Abuja, 2024), to mention a few. His paintings grace many private and public collections, both home and abroad, including works commissioned on a national scale by Guaranty Trust Bank Nigeria.