Untitled 16
53 cm x 80 cm
Ade “Àsìkò” Okelarin
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Ade “Àsìkò” Okelarin
About Ade “Àsìkò” Okelarin
Ade “Àsìkò” Okelarin is a London-based Nigerian conceptual artist whose work moves gracefully between photography, mixed media, and film. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1978, Àsìkò spent his early years surrounded by the spiritual depth and cultural symbolism of Yoruba life before relocating to the United Kingdom, where he continues to live and create. Though formally trained in Chemistry and Bioinformatics, Àsìkò is a self-taught visual artist: a testament to his intuitive approach and deep personal connection to storytelling through image and symbolism.
Rooted in the exploration of identity, heritage, and transformation, Àsìkò’s work often merges the real and the surreal to question how culture and memory shape selfhood. His practice draws on Yoruba philosophy, mythology, and feminine archetypes, reinterpreting them through a contemporary lens. The feminine form is central in his art, not as object, but as the embodiment of divine energy, resilience, and ancestral wisdom. Through striking visual compositions, Àsìkò creates narratives that are both introspective and universal, inviting viewers to witness the spiritual and emotional layers of the African experience.
His notable series include Ase, a meditation on the sacred life force within the Black woman; Conversations, which challenges patriarchal violence and celebrates feminine strength; and Layers, an acclaimed self-portrait series that delves into identity and rebirth, exhibited at the Southbank Centre in London and featured by BBC and The Huffington Post. Àsìkò’s work has been shown widely in Nigeria and the UK, including his solo exhibition Adorned at Rele Gallery in Lagos, and presented internationally at art fairs such as Photo London.
Across his body of work, Àsìkò reclaims and reimagines African narratives, confronting the lingering echoes of colonial misrepresentation and celebrating the beauty and complexity of Black identity. “As a child,” he reflects, “Western culture narrated that my culture was backward — but through my art, I have been rediscovering its beauty and how it has shaped who I am.” For Àsìkò, art is an act of remembrance, reclamation, and spiritual dialogue: a way to honour the past while envisioning new possibilities of self and culture.
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