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Biography
"Colors of
Time, Richness and Culture"
Olu Jimi Adeniyi
Olu in the Yoruba language means
"God." Jimi
means, "Gave Us." Born in Lagos, Nigeria, this proclamation was evident
following the birth of Paul and Agnes Adeniyi's eighth child.
Begining
Olu~Jimi Adeniyi started painting at the age of 8. "I believe I am part of art and art is part of me"
He summarizes. Olu~Jimi Adeniyi explained that while his other peers were
busy doing other things normal kids would do,
he found delight and joy in viewing nature, form and expressing it in
different art mediums. He drew with whatever he could find and painted with whatever was available to him.
"I used supplies I found everywhere most of which were scraps - from
these was a painting of fire and a trumpet. I painted what I thought was a chalice. I remember putting it under my bed. This painting helped
me understand and capture color as I saw it in nature. An older friend revealed to me that it was a bong and not a chalice." Olu~Jimi Adeniyi's thoughts were innocent and simply - As a child.
He felt a love of art.
Trials
At the age of 10, Olu~Jimi Adeniyi insisted he would go to Yaba
College of Art in Nigeria. He was always fascinated by the artworks and sculpture at the
Yaba College of Technology. When visiting his sister who was then a student at the college,
he would wander off and finally his parents would find him at the Art Dept in the Painting Studio's or the
Sculpture Studio's. This was when he knew his calling was art. Olu~Jimi Adeniyi followed his dreams and attended the school for 2 years.
He then traveled to London with an ONB degree (Associates degree).
He continued his career by attending the Jacob Kramer School
of Arts where he was told that he was not well qualified to attend
the college. Olu~Jimi Adeniyi was not going to give up. He then went to
The Cambellwell School of Art which was closer to where he
stayed in London and started taking art lessons. While in college in London,
he took a job at the Dukes Hotel as a sorter and washed bed sheets. While working there,
he met many friends who thought and believed that he should be a full time artist. All he did while at work was draw and talk about shapes and form.
Suffering
Olu~Jimi Adeniyi came to the to the United States of America to visit with his brother whom he hadn't seen for several years. While
visiting, his brother insisted that there was a lot of opportunity
available for him to pursue his career in the United States. Olu~Jimi Adeniyi
heeded his brother's advice and attended SIU-E. Olu~Jimi Adeniyi lived with his brother in Belleville, IL, where he had a 2 hour commute to school by bus every day. In the winter period, Olu~Jimi Adeniyi would walk about 2 miles to catch the bus in the freezing cold.
"I remember vividly one day I could not feel my hand and ears they were so numb from the cold
and I couldn't afford a scarf or gloves at that time". In the evenings, he rode
his bike at least 10 miles where he worked at Ben Franklin as a stock boy.
“I rode about10 miles to work everyday” he said, “One day the tires on the bike bust from being ridden so much".
he laughs.. Eventually after that, he could not work due to lack of transportation.
This meant he could not afford art supplies for his classes.
When things became increasingly difficult, he decided to move. His brother helped him to the best of his capability but things were tough. After moving to Edwardsville he had nowhere to stay. At night he found refuge in buildings and classrooms and slept on benches and tables he put together as bed at night. “I would wash up and brush
my teeth in public bathrooms before my classmates arrived for class every morning" he stated.
A year passed until fortunately, a friend noticed his situation and invited him to sleep on his couch. This experience has
nurtured a keen sense of appreciation, hard work, morality and humility
towards everything in his life.
Evolution of Maskermorphosis
The evolution of Maskermorphosis came from different facets of life that Olu~Jimi Adeniyi has encountered.
"The creation of Maskermorphosis was a cause of discontent between I and my instructor". Olu~Jimi Adeniyi was advised to paint a certain way and he chose otherwise
"to further emphasize my creativity and artistry. I painted the way I believed I should". This situation brought much grief with
his instructor, who believed he was insubordinate, due to his lack of adherence to his advice. Olu~Jimi Adeniyi was informed that he would never graduate from the
school, but painting this way was more important to him. Olu~Jimi
Adeniyi excelled in all his classes, making the Dean's list for
three consecutive years until the altercation with
his instructor in the fourth year. Even though his grades were affected, Olu~Jimi Adeniyi persisted with his belief in his painting style. Olu~Jimi Adeniyi went on to create a series of 4 Maskermorphosis paintings that
he is now known for around the world. "I do not plan my works, they just happen. I become one with the
medium to create what flows from my mind and what becomes a unique piece of me to share with the world".
"I have found solace in my paintings and believe I have reached the level desired of completion as an artist". The soul Olu~Jimi Adeniyi immerses into his art works
are transpired in his art works and felt by each viewer of the
Artworks.
Success
Olu~Jimi Adeniyi's works are known and collected all over the world.
Simply Google the word "olu jimi adeniyi" to get a list of galleries
that carry Olu~Jimi Adeniyi's works
JimiArt Galleries in Springfield IL - Owner
JimiArt.com - CEO
The Cultural Arts Institute - Founder
Art show listings/collectors click here
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