African Elegance

Kolade Adekunle Oshinowo is a well-respected contemporary Nigerian painter and teacher born in Ibadan in 1948. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1972, majoring in painting. He was a teacher at King’s College, Lagos (1972-74). In 1973, he started lecturing part-time at the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos, at the persuasion of Yusuf Grillo who assigned him to take a weekly class on pictorial composition. Eventually he joined the institution full time in 1974 and would spend the next 35 years there in service, teaching and inspiring generations of talent to become great artists. From 1990, he was the chief lecturer and director, School of Art, Design & Printing, YABATECH. Oshinowo is very passionate about his profession as an artist and believes in the unique role of art for a better society. He would instill these ideals and values upon his students making them see their profession beyond illustrations, drawing, painting and sculpting. As a prolific painter he loves exploring themes on urban life, events/activities in his surroundings and everyday life in the larger society. He is also famous for portraiture and has executed numerous portraits of famous Nigerians as private commissions. Women are also a central theme in his paintings.

African Elegance is a portrait of a young lady in side view. Her hair is styled in cornrows. The neck is portrayed long and slender. The rays of light around her facial features highlight these features in turn and gives them a profound look. Shapes and patterns can be seen portrayed on the background of the painting. The painting's colour palette is majorly brown with some red, warm blue and yellow ochre highlights. Her outlook and expression is filled with beauty, simplicity, grace and humility typical of a young, elegant African woman. In all the painting is a celebration of the African woman.