Spotlight Artist

Muyiwa Adeyanju

Midwest
Artist profile photo

BlinDead

Black-and-white portrait of a boy with a film strip spiraling across his face and puzzle pieces behind.

charcoal pencil, graphite pencil, and pastel pencil on paper

Non-Resident Alien

Person in an astronaut helmet lounges on a blue patterned rug, red couch in background.

mixed media; oil paint, printed photograph, and Dutch wax fabric on canvas

Window to the Milky Way

Person lying on bed with a helmet, colorful blanket, window showing a night sky and autumn leaves.

mixed media; oil paint, printed picture, and Dutch wax fabric on panel

Featured in New American Paintings1 / 3

Artist Statement

 Years of self-practice and expression through various mediums—which have ranged from charcoal pencils, graphite, ballpoint pens, photography, sign design, and most recently, mixed media—have accompanied my steady progression towards finding a unique style. I have worked on a number of projects, with themes including personal narratives, societal challenges, and migration. After years of experimenting, I began creating collage works using Dutch wax textiles, acrylics, oil paints, and photographs. I am attracted by these fabrics’ many colors; they remind me of Africa’s rich culture, as well as their history and how it became a mainstay in Africa.

To explore the ideological breakdown of African culture and practice from neocolonialism, as well as my own feelings of upheaval from migrating to the United States and being separated from my family, I take a mixed media approach to collaging. By cutting, twisting, adding, and redesigning fabrics, I find new ways to present these various cultural elements. In doing so, I create new dialogues with the viewer.

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