Timeline

1983

Born in London, UK

Adébayo Bolaji, is a multidisciplinary artist who trained as an actor and writer at the Central School of Speech and Drama. His works are intuitively led, but often dealing with social-political, spiritual and psychological matters. Prior to the Central School, Bolaji studied law at London Guildhall university. A self-taught contemporary artist, who drew throughout his younger years, Bolaji was later influenced by the works of Francis Bacon, Basquiat, Dubuffet, Twombly and poet Allen Ginsberg. Often citing Bacon’s unapologetic unraveling of the human body, Twombly and Basquiat’s freeness yet, maturity in composition and execution. Having worked as an actor in the historic Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, written and directed for the London stage and devised experimental theatre with designer Carl Robertshaw (Björk, Moma, Antony and the Johnsons) and two time grammy winner Lekan Babalola, Bolaji’s paintings initially gained rapid success online- with positive response gaining his first solo show, commissions and artist spots. The latter was seen at international artist Yinka Shonibare MBE’s Project Space showcased on the 28th October as part of Tangle’s commissioned artist spot. Bolaji works mainly in the painting tradition, using acrylic, oil pastels and ink as his primary components. “I like to deal with the observational, I’m interested in people, I like people- I like things. I think it is important to see the beauty in everything- to see how even the unnecessary becomes necessary by virtue of no longer being needed- this is the beauty of process. I learned this as a director for theatre and law student - a sort of cross examination and researching, only this time with visuals, thus one becomes confident with what is left- you feel justified.” Recent solo/group exhibitions and performance art: 01 -Title: Dialektikon, St Barnabas Space, Dalston, July 2016 02- Title: OFFBEAT : Studio 73, Brixton Village, London, May 2016 03- Title: Kitchen Night. Private Viewing at The Studio, N12 0PG, December 2015 04- Artist Residency and Ahowing, Yinka Shonibare, MBE Guest Projects Space, October 2016 05- Group Show, Galerie Proarta, Zurich-Switzerland, December 2016-January 2017 06- Solo Show and Residency, Galerie Proarta, Zurich-Switzerland, March 2017 07- Dialogue Show with Mariana Oyelami, Tafeta, London, April-May 2017 08- Solo Show, Title: Origin and Flow, RAM Gallery, Brooklyn - USA, June-July 2017 09- Solo Show, Titel: Transitions -Change. Movement. Dialogue, Something Gallery, London, Februar 2017 10- Artist Residency and Showing, Galerie Proarta, Zurich-Switzerland, March 2017