Untitled II by Olu Ajayi, 2012, oil on canvas, 90 x 110 cm

Olu Ajayi’s (b. 1963-2025, Edo State) artistic style was characterized by his bold use of colors and pseudo-human figures caught in candid positions. As an accomplished cartoonist, he illustrated Xanti by Neville Ukoli and the Aboki Comic Strip for The Sunday Observer Newspapers, and was the inhouse cartoonist for The Nigerian Observer Newspapers. He graduated from Auchi Polytechnic with a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Fine Arts in 1984. As a past chairman of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), Lagos State chapter, Olu Ajayi played a pivotal role in shaping the art community. He instituted the October Rain and Art Café events, which have become a hallmark of SNA’s yearly programs. Throughout his career, he held several solo and group exhibitions around the world including Nigeria, South Africa, USA, UK and Canada. His works have been commissioned by several commercial and private institutions, including in Nigeria’s National collection domiciled with the National Gallery of Art. Source: AE Folio