Abstract. This paper examines a few paintings created by Kolade Oshinowo, a famous Yoruba artist belonging to the contemporary Nigerian textile art. It highlights and explains the thematic foci of its form, style and media as used by Oshinowo in his fabric paintings in Nigerian art scenes. Data for this study were obtained using the paintings and works of Kolade Oshinowo collected from exhibition catalogues, private individuals, and museums, in order to explain its style, form, subject matter and media used in painting. Kolade Oshinowo’s painting in Nigeria represents the socio-cultural activities of the Yoruba culture and traditions. His painting exhibits the beauty of Yoruba textile motifs and patterns in social engagements of the contemporary Yoruba society. He uses mixed media to represent his ideas about the Yoruba people of Southwest Nigeria. The study established that Kolade Oshinowo’s practice of painting in Nigerian art traditions is a reflection of his orientation of the life style and the socio-cultural behaviour of the Yoruba people.
Key words: culture; Nigerian art; painting traditions; Yoruba; style; socio-cultural behavior
Labode OJ, Oladiti AA, Braide OO, Savage OG, Oyedele AO (2023) Kolade Oshinowo and his paintings in Nigerian textile art: reflections of Yoruba culture. Creativity 6(2): 105–121. doi:10.22381/C6220234