Tunji Adeniyi-Jones

Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, New York City, New York

Acquired from the above by the present owner

Tunji Adeniyi-Jones is a British-Nigerian artist celebrated for his bright, rhythmic, contemplative paintings. Educated at the Ruskin School of Art in Oxford and the Yale School of Art, Adeniyi-Jones’s works draw stylistically from both his Yoruba heritage and Western art historical traditions. His compositions demonstrate an affinity to the Fauvist approach to the depiction of the human form, as well as its dedication to colour as an expressive vehicle. However, in the repetition of central figurative motifs, the flatness of the composition as well as the employment of linear outlines to demarcate forms, Adeniyi-Jones makes an overt reference to the rich West African textile traditions which he no doubt is steeped within. From indigenous textiles like Adire and Aso oke to imported-yet-ubiquitous Batik fabrics known locally as Ankara, Adeniyi-Jones work exists in a liminal space where the visual culture of West Africa meets the modernist Western tradition.

Adeniyi-Jones has featured in various important exhibitions globally. Most notably, his work was featured in the Nigerian pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale, as well as the 2022 Dakar Biennale. His work has been shown as part of several important group and solo exhibitions including the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The M), Philippines and Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town.