Adébayo Bolaji is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in London, whose paintings merge figuration with abstraction to build allegorical compositions steeped in symbolism, metaphor, and psychological depth. Dynamic profiles emerge from a kaleidoscope of fragmented forms and radiant color, evoking a dreamlike space charged with chaos and movement — drawing from history, anthropology, religion, and popular culture to probe questions of identity, power, and cultural memory. At the centre of his practice is a dialogue of change and metaphysical conversations on what it means to surrender and let go. Bolaji has exhibited internationally in London, Zurich, Berlin, and New York, including a two-person exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery and a significant solo museum show at the Arnolfini in Bristol in 2024. He has participated in artist residencies including Yinka Shonibare MBE Guest Projects (2017) and residencies in New York, Margate, and Jaipur, India, and his work has been featured in prominent publications alongside speaking engagements at institutions such as Mall Galleries London and Penn State University. Beyond painting, he is a published poet, theatre director at Park Theatre London, and founder of Ex Nihilo Theatre Group, holding a degree from the Central School of Speech and Drama and a Law degree from London Guildhall University. In 2023, he unveiled a permanent 3m x 3m public sculpture at Central Plaza Park in Acton Gardens, and in 2025 his painting Time and Place was revealed for Darlington’s 200th anniversary, permanently installed in the station’s new waiting room to celebrate its place in history as the world’s first steam passenger and goods railway.
Adébayo Bolaji is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in London, whose paintings merge figuration with abstraction to build allegorical compositions steeped in symbolism, metaphor, and psychological depth. Dynamic profiles emerge from a kaleidoscope of fragmented forms and radiant color, evoking a dreamlike space charged with chaos and movement — drawing from history, anthropology, religion, and popular culture to probe questions of identity, power, and cultural memory. At the centre of his practice is a dialogue of change and metaphysical conversations on what it means to surrender and let go. Bolaji has exhibited internationally in London, Zurich, Berlin, and New York, including a two-person exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery and a significant solo museum show at the Arnolfini in Bristol in 2024. He has participated in artist residencies including Yinka Shonibare MBE Guest Projects (2017) and residencies in New York, Margate, and Jaipur, India, and his work has been featured in prominent publications alongside speaking engagements at institutions such as Mall Galleries London and Penn State University. Beyond painting, he is a published poet, theatre director at Park Theatre London, and founder of Ex Nihilo Theatre Group, holding a degree from the Central School of Speech and Drama and a Law degree from London Guildhall University. In 2023, he unveiled a permanent 3m x 3m public sculpture at Central Plaza Park in Acton Gardens, and in 2025 his painting Time and Place was revealed for Darlington’s 200th anniversary, permanently installed in the station’s new waiting room to celebrate its place in history as the world’s first steam passenger and goods railway.