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Olusegun Adeniyi: Artist, Arts Educator and Social Entrepreneur
Who Are You?
I am a prolific blogger, artist-cum-art instructor and a social entrepreneur. I am a versatile multi-media artist, academically trained from University of Benin, Nigeria where I obtained a degree in painting (Fine Art). I also bagged the best graduating student award for NCE Fine and Applied Arts from Federal College of Education, Abeokuta in 2000.
I am an award winning art educator, who is dedicated, resourceful, imaginative, goal-driven and committed to |
creating meaningful and stimulating art projects to improve students’ ability, creativity, appreciation, perception, awareness, concentration, confidence, and motivation. I have a talent for instilling art appreciation, and promoting creativity and open-mindedness in students. I combine my talent with an excellent skilled background in virtual documentation to promote artists globally for e-community exposure.
What Are You Passionate About?
Art
Art is my passion, my calling. I discovered early that I enjoy art and my art has been evolving over the years. When I look back at my art, I see a thread of continuity, commitment and progressive improvement over time.
My works are an embodiment of quality, creativity and originality. Every stroke, every daub of paint, every allure in my works, reflects the connection to my African cultural heritage. My technique explores themes dealing with basic human desires and cultural changes, through which I create art with the hope of finding answers to environmental issues today. Society has been my influence, and nature inspires me.
Arts Education
I am committed to the cause of inspiring and championing the next generation of artists, art lovers and creative future leaders. I am so passionate about helping kids harnessing their God’s given talents and inspiring an artistic future in a child. My goal has always been to increase young ones’ motivation, awareness and understanding of the arts.
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The core of my mission as an art educator is to provide a platform for every child to experience the beauty and the rewarding experience of engaging in the art. It does not matter if the experience ends just as a hobby, a career, or simply as an appreciative observer.
What Do You Do To Advance Art and Art Education?
I do more of community work, taking an extra step into talent hunting in the rural areas and giving a better concentration to my studio practice. Outside the four walls of my studio, I write periodically to educate a wide audience of children about Art on the pages of national newspapers and on virtual platforms.
I have presented kids for various art award competitions and recorded incredible experiences at touching lives (especially the less privileged kids) through creative art engagements.
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"To succeed today and in the future, the children will need to be inventive, resourceful and imaginative. Creative thinking is not a talent; it is a skill that can be learnt. It empowers people by adding strength to their natural abilities. And the best way to foster that creativity is through Arts education. I believe in the creative future of our children, that’s why I teach Art. I am committed and dedicated to imparting and inspiring the next generation of creative minds and innovative thinkers who will build our nation, Nigeria and protect its cultural heritage." ~ Olusegun Adeniyi
I am the Art Director and co-founder of Art Scout in Nigeria. To expand my horizon, I founded ART SCOUT with a friend, an organization which engages in a series of Art Projects with the sole aim of nurturing the intrinsic talents of young ones through an ART EDUCATION platform as a form of therapy and empowerment. I blog to document the children's art work which is viable of global e-community exposure. I have dedicated this virtual platform to nurturing the kids talents and increasing the exposure of young budding and promising art talent from Africa to a global audience. Read ART SCOUT at www.artscoutafrica.blogspot.com
A second web log I manage is for the purpose of sharing resources, ideas and tools for teaching visual art. You can find it at www.teachingvisualart.blogspot.com. |
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I also teach Art on television with the aim to stimulate and inspire artistic practice and appreciation among the young ones; some of the videos can be viewed on
I love children and connect effortlessly with them and help fuel their aspiration to create art through different platforms of artistic engagement, especially at the grassroots level.
Our work builds art awareness, sharpens basic art skills and ignites the creative energy in the young ones to put them on a path to reach their full potential in life.
I have also volunteered with two U.S based organizations, Children's Art Village Ghana () and Volunteer Africa to share my artistic prowess with the young ones in Nigeria and Ghana. I strongly believe that Art can change a life; it is a powerful means of expression, empowerment and therapy.
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"Our projects are run by professional artists and art educators. It is established with the aim of promoting art from the grassroots level, by expanding the learning field of art, using child art as the major educational and communicative tool for socio-economic change." ~ Olusegun Adeniyi
I also organize and facilitate the Art Teachers Connect project for Art teachers with the purpose of encouraging, inspiring and stimulating creative conversation and exchange of ideas between art teachers towards improvement of quality of art education in Nigeria.
Bringing art teachers together transforms their capacity and positions them as change agents in their local communities. Past projects are documented on the blog and also on print media.
My life of service has inspired certain individuals to make effort in imparting young ones, even when it’s just a child! And there have been several publications of my Art teaching project and practice which has been source of inspiration to many; here is a virtual version of one of them, "Photography: The trailblazing efforts of BBHS" at Sun News Online here.
More and more, I am engulfed with the issues of environment and thus channel my concern for environmental sustainability in a series of artistic expressions using recycled materials as media for visual expression. I have also engaged the kids to create diverse eco-friendly art pieces.
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Recently, I Am Proud Of...
In the last two academic sessions (2012/2013), I was awarded "Most outstanding staff" where I teach at the Baptist Boys' High School (B.B.H.S). The story was published on a Nigerian national newspaper. Read "HIStory" at Sun News Online here.
I have selflessly sought to give the kids regardless of their background the chance to self-expression and creativity. Credence to my artistic engagement with the kids could be accessed at my blog. Read, I WAS HONOURED WITH AN AWARD BY THE NIGERIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION here.
Awards and Honors
Exhibitions
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- March 26 & 27, 2013, Every Picture tells a story, Photography Exhibition, BBHS, Abk
- Dec 15 – 29, 2012, Badagry Miniature Art Show, Whispering Palms Resort, Badagry
- August 8 – 15, 2012, ‘FESTIVAL OF CREATIVITY’, Aduke Maina Hall, FCE, Abeokuta
- May/June 2012, ‘ORISUN’ touring Exhibition with Prof Wole Soyinka, Olumo Rock
- March 1 – 7, 2010, 24th Lisabi Day 2010 Art Exhibition, Alake Palace, Abeokuta, Ogun
- December 2008, Wapi, Word and Picture, British Council, Lagos
- August 2008, Art Expo Nigeria, National Museum, Onikan, Lagos
- October 2006, Final Year Exhibition, Fine & Applied Arts Dept. University of Benin, Edo
- June 2006, Mi Corazon Es Bonita’ Fashion Exhibition, White House, UNEC, Enugu
- May 2006, Kambani Art Exhibition “EXPRESSION” Lagos, Abuja and Enugu
- October 2000, Final Year Exhibition, Fine & Applied Arts Dept. FCE, Abeokuta, Ogun
- November 1999, SNA Art Exhibition and Competition, Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun
Articles About Olusegun Adeniyi
- Open studio with Olusegun Adeniyi, Art of female figures, City Voice Newspaper, December 6, 2013, page 18
- Front-page publication on EDUCATION REVIEW of SUN Newspaper, Tuesday 20th August, 2013, vol. 10, No. 2693, pages 25, 28 & 29 for being awarded the “Most Outstanding Teacher” at BBHS, Abeokuta. Read, HIStory at Sun News Online here.
- Olusegun Adeniyi World of Arts, GOGAPS Definition Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 4, (2012) page 11
- Nigeria represented at Ghana Children Summer Art Class, NEWSSTAR Newspaper, page 25, Saturday October 1, 2011
- Olusegun Michael Adeniyi: Catching the young at heart, written by Chris Iwarah, Sunday SUN Newspaper, page 33, May 22, 2011
- Trends: when Arts and native fashion tie the knot, written by Kemi Ashefon, Sunday PUNCH newspaper, page 32 and 33, March 8, 2009
- Art is my passion, my business, Small business Journal, BUSINESSDAY Newspaper, page10, November 14, 2005
Illustrated Works
- The Greed Boy, By Abisola Houngbo, Sophie Academic, GOAD Educational Publisher.
- Real Love, By Ooreoluwa Idowu, Sophie Academic, GOAD Educational Publisher.
- IN HER EYES, By Abeni Ademola-Fashina, Afitob Press.
- Femina magazine, School of Virtue Publication.
- The Total Youth Magazine, Publication of the Total Youth Crusaders.
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Online Book Titled FORENSIC EXPERIENCE on: www.forensicexperience.blogspot.com
Contact Information for Olusegun Adeniyi
Most importantly, I would love to connect with Art teachers and creative minds across the globe! I invite you to reach out to connect and collaborate!
- Olusegun Adeniyi |
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