David Akinola
Welcome. I’m an artist drawn to the layers that make us who we are—our identities, memories, struggles, and dreams. Through abstraction, figuration, and the spaces where they meet, I create work that invites reflection, connection, and conversation. Have a look around.
Abstraction
This section explores the complexity of thought, emotion, and experience through abstract forms, expressive marks, and layered symbolism. These works are driven by internal landscapes— mental states, frustrations, memories —and use color, texture, and gesture to communicate ideas that aren’t easily put into words. Abstraction here becomes a space for freedom, chaos, and reflection.
Figuration
In this section, the human figure takes center stage. These works celebrate beauty, dignity, and vulnerability, often focusing on women as a way to explore themes of identity, body image, and emotional presence. Whether through drawing or painting, each piece captures a personal and emotional truth, inviting viewers into quiet moments of intimacy and recognition.
Abstraction + Figuration
This section merges the two approaches to create complex narratives that reflect the layered nature of the human experience. Figures are interwoven with abstract forms, symbols, and environments, expressing the tension between what is seen and what is felt. These works often reflect larger social or psychological concerns—restriction, transition, and self-construction—through a personal lens.
Narrative Illustrations
This section features illustrative works focused on character, mood, and story. Each image captures a moment that hints at a broader narrative, without the use of text. The scenes are intimate or stylized, often showing female characters in social or private settings. Some depict women in matching aso ebi preparing for celebration. Others show solitary figures folding clothes, writing, or changing, engaged in everyday rituals. The characters are not performing. They exist within their own space, while the viewer takes the role of quiet observer. These works lend themselves to storytelling, character development, and visual world-building across publishing, gaming, comics, animation, and digital media.
About Me
I'm a multidisciplinary artist working across drawing, painting, digital collage, and mixed media, with a focus on themes like identity, restriction, beauty, and mental health. My work often blends figuration and abstraction to explore how personal and collective experiences shape our inner worlds. Influenced by my background in Nigeria and my current life in the UK, I use symbols, textures, and layered imagery to navigate the tensions between freedom and limitation, individuality and community, authenticity and survival. Whether through pen drawings, collages, or large-scale installations, I create work that invites reflection, emotion, and conversation.
EDUCATION
MA Contemporary Fine Art
University of Salford, UK — 2025BA Industrial Design
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria — 2014
SELECTED PROJECTS
Artist-led Research Project – University of Salford Archives
Salford, UK — 2025
Created original artworks in response to overlooked archival narratives, including
anonymous photographs, staff ephemera, and historical logos. Explored institutional
erasure through silhouette imagery, reconstructed posters, and layered collage.
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OPEN Exhibition – Turnpike Gallery
Leigh, UK — 2025
Supported curatorial processes for a biannual group exhibition, including gallery prep,
installation, and coordination of public-facing logistics.
WORKSHOPS & PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTFacilitator – Marking Time: Drawing as Pause and Process
Art House Midd; Manchester, UK — 2025Led a process-based drawing session focused on instinctive mark-making and selfreflection.
Participants engaged with drawing as presence and play through collaborative
prompts and non-verbal storytelling, influenced by practices of surrealist automatism and
artists like Lynda Barry and Jean-Michel Basquiat.Facilitator – Ballpoint Pen Portrait Drawing
Art House Midd; Manchester, UK — 2025Facilitated an expressive portraiture workshop exploring mark-making and experimentation
using ballpoint pens. Drawing exercises challenged realism and encouraged visual risktaking,
inspired by Francis Bacon, Picasso, and Basquiat.
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Contact me: [email protected]