Once Upon a Time

Tola Wewe graduated with a BA Fine Art from the University of Ife in 1983 and an MA in African Visual Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1986. He taught fine art at the Teachers College Igboegunrin in Ondo, lectured at Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, was a senior artist at the Daily Times of Nigeria, and the general manager of the Signature Art Gallery in Lagos before becoming a full-time practicing artist in 1995.

A founding member of the Ona movement, which consists of scholars, critics and practising artists committed to the exploration, interpretation and adaptation of traditional Yoruba symbols, motifs and concepts, Wewe describes himself as more witness than author, “communicating with the spirits of the ancestors,” the result of which is an ongoing series of oil and acrylic paintings infused with traditional lore and myths.

Wewe’s work has been exhibited across Europe and the U.S.