Jacob Afolabi, 1940-2015
Biography

Jacob Afolabi was born in Ikirun, Nigeria, and began his career as an actor in the theatre troupe of Duro Ladipo. In 1962, when Ladipo co-founded the Mbari Mbayo Club in Osogbo with the German art critic Ulli Beier, Afolabi became the first artist to emerge from its inaugural workshop, led by the Guyanese artist Denis Williams.

Afolabi went on to attend Georgina Beier's workshops from 1963, developing bold, striking forms and strong juxtaposed colours across printmaking, painting, mural design and textile art. His work draws on both traditional African life and Christian themes, with fluid, organic compositions that hold figures together as a unified rhythm.

A founding figure of the Osogbo Art School, Afolabi later became curator at the Museum of the Institute of African Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University, Osogbo, mentoring younger generations of Nigerian artists. His work is held in institutions including the National Gallery of Canada.