Laolu remembers his grandmother, who he refers to as Mama, with tattoos on her arms and legs. “As a child, I thought she was born with them, with beautiful black lines and detailed symbols,” Laolu told ESSENCE. His grandmother told him that her tattoos were symbols from Yoruba mythology. He continued, “I never knew how this was going to influence the artist that I am today.”
As a former human rights lawyer, the 38-year-old artist fought for justice and had a keen focus on sociopolitical causes. As he transitioned into his art career, he continued to express his passion for the protection of his people through this creative outlet. Stemmed from his frustration of seeing all of the injustices negatively impacting the Black community, he found a new outlet in painting.
“I see the world through a lens of justice and strive to bring a voice to the oppressed and disenfranchised through all of my work, so partnering with allies has helped amplify this message and use my talent to bring attention to greater issues,” Laolu said. “To me, all surfaces are a canvas. By placing my artwork on just about any and everything I can get my hands on, I believe I can leave a part of my art and Yoruba heritage wherever I go.”
Laolu’s art has been seen across many campaigns throughout the culture including Belvedere bottles and Beyoncé’s 2016 visual album “Lemonade,” which just hit its five-year anniversary.The artist revealed that Beyoncé wanted to
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