ABI OLA
ABOUT THE ARTIST
For my art practice I specialise in painting, drawing, screen printing, collaging, batik, and textiles. My artwork focuses on shapes and patterns. I get inspiration from old photographs, fabrics that I find in my house, and different exhibitions. For example, Oceanic art from the Royal Academy of Arts, African textiles from the British Museum, and William Morris wallpaper designs. When painting the figures in the photographs I realised that I was much more interested in the shapes and patterns that I found in their clothes than the figures themselves.
Therefore, I began to focus on the shapes and patterns and created my own pattern designs in my paintings. I use the above-mentioned pattern reference sources to explore my identity, being West African, and living in Britain. For example, some of the patterns come from Nigerian traditional attire, worn by my father, while others are floral patterns that my mother wore, typically associated with British textiles.
My patterns go beyond my two-dimensional paintings, they also find their way onto the interior design of buildings, clothes, and skin. This is a way for me to completely envelop myself and the viewer within my world of patterns.
FORE STREET GALLERY
Shutter
Fenbico, 117 Fore Street, N18 2XF.
Shutter installation by Matchbox CollectiveHigh Street Bins
Abi designed 23 individual artworks for the council owned litter bins on Fore Street
