Olarinde was born in the year 1996. She claims that art represents her own truth and freedom. In other words, art through self-exploration allows her to express herself freely and brings her peace.
Ayanfe Olarinde (born 1996) is a self-taught visual artist who works in a variety of media. In 2018, she graduated with a BSc in Microbiology from the University of Lagos. Her interest in art stems from her love of scribbling, a process that allows her to unpack her emotions in playful and intriguing ways, while also speaking on broader issues of self-exploration and untold stories. Ayanfe's forms of expression have evolved to include photography and mixed media collages, with the interrogation of society and governance running through all of her works. She has taken part in numerous group exhibitions, and her work has been featured in publications such as Now ThisNews, CNN, Euronews, Konbini, and RADR Africa, to name a few.
Ayanfe finds harmony in crooked lines, which she has forged from the heat of frustration on her path to self-discovery, emoting through the varying thickness of her scribbling. She transforms crooked lines into something meaningful through her art, a metaphor she believes relates to life and its ability to create beauty out of imperfection. Ayanfe, a self-proclaimed explorer, is always looking for new mediums and ways of expressing herself, drawing inspiration from personal experiences, her immediate society, and music. She connects her viewers to multiple perspectives on the themes she addresses through the dynamic nature of her works. Ayanfe's art aims to advocate for the marginalized, raise awareness, and have a positive impact on society.
"HER INTERESTS IN SELF-IMAGE, IDENTITY FORMATION, GENDER CONSTRUCT, MENTAL HEALTH, SOCIETY'S AND GOVERNMENT'S IMPACT IN HER TELLING OF UNTOLD STORIES ARE IMPLICIT THEMATIC PROJECTED ACROSS AYANFE'S WORK."
HEAD IN THE CLOUDS
One of my favorite works is a mixed media portrait titled "To all the girls with their heads in the clouds," which reminds me of my early years as a woman. The work is a self-portrait in which she depicts herself sitting in a typical Nigerian field of crimson dirt. With her signature locked hair, hyper-imperturbable shades, and green Nike dunks, the portrait is also very modern and stylish. To me, her ladylike posture with arms juxtaposed by her cheekily sticking out her tongue at the viewer represents a kind of "fuck you" to the establishment and ideas of how a woman is supposed to behave. This is the kind of struggle I went through as a young woman.
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“To all the girls with their heads in the clouds” . courtesy @ayanfee_
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It is critical that young black female artists like Ayanfe Olarinde be seen and heard. I haven't seen many people like her. She is undeniably a one-of-a-kind and necessary talent.
To know more about the Artist, you can follow her on Instagram
@ayanfee_
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