kehinde williams

Kehinde Williams (b. 1997) is a self-taught visual artist born in the western region of Nigeria, currently based in Lagos, Nigeria.
He is currently studying Building Construction at the University of Lagos, Nigeria and in the past few years has tutored art for young children and has participated in a number of group exhibitions in his home country.

He draws inspiration from the early works of Chris Ofili and Wangechi Mutu, as well as inspiration from personal experiences and surroundings.

Kehinde’s works address socio cultural beliefs, economic and political issues in contemporary Nigerian society. His intention is to invite viewers into his thought process, with his black figures and gestures as an avenue to connect deeply to his work. He is an expressionist that enjoys the flexibility of acrylics, exploring net-like textures connected to each other in figures, demonstrating his personal struggles and pressures in life.

Utilising acrylic as his tool, Kehinde creates mesmerizing art with forms, composition and balance. His work aims to push art lovers to ask questions.

His recent body of work series titled ‘The tangling series’ (pain in the neck) stemmed from the idea of speaking a language, using visual representation, and texture as the main element of discussion.