We are excited to welcome Tunji Adeniyi-Jones as he joins G.A.S. Lagos for a residency this month. Adeniyi-Jones is an accomplished painter born in London to Nigerian parents. He received a BFA from The Ruskin School of Art at Oxford University in 2014 and an MFA in painting and printmaking from Yale in 2017. His work explores his Yoruban ancestry, its folklore, and idolatry from the perspective of the African diaspora. Adeniyi-Jones has been featured in solo exhibitions such as Astral Reflections and Patterns & Rituals, and his oil painting, Love Ritual, set a new auction record in 2021. In this residency, he plans on researching and connecting with local artists, authors, performers, and dancers.
What is the current focus of your creative practice?
My current focus is figurative painting. I am interested in exploring the human form, and the emotions and experiences that it can convey.
Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Triple Dive Violet I, Triple Dive Orange, Triple Dive Violet II, Oil on Canvas, 2022. Photo: Nicelle Beauchene Gallery
What drew you to apply for this residency, and how will it inform your wider practice?
I was attracted to the opportunity to spend time living and working in a city I have known throughout my life. Lagos is a city that is full of energy, creativity, and inspiration. I hope that the residency will allow me to connect with local artists and cultural figures, and to gain new insights and perspectives that will inform my wider practice.
Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Nine Virtues i, Nine Virtues ii, Nine Virtues iii, Oil on canvas, 2021. Photo: Nicelle Beauchene Gallery
Can you give us an insight into how you hope to use the opportunity?
I plan on using this residency primarily for research and social engagement. I hope to connect with local artists, authors, performers, and dancers, and to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural landscape of Lagos. I also hope to use this time to develop and grow my ideas through research, social interaction, and local exploration.
As Adetunji settles into his residency, we look forward to seeing how his time in Lagos will inform and inspire his creative practice. We wish him all the best for his stay and can't wait to see the results of his work.
Installation view, Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Patterns & Rituals, 2019. Photo: Nicelle Beauchene Gallery
RESIDENCY ARCHIVE
EVENT: Interwoven Histories
Event Date: 28th April 2023
Interwoven Histories convened contemporary artists Victor Ehikhamenor, Gbolahan Ayoola, curator and artist Temitayo Ogunbiyi, and figurative painter Tunji Adeniyi-Jones. The event marked the conclusion of Adeniyi-Jones’ residency at G.A.S. Lagos, a period of research, exploration and introspection that has provided opportunities to connect with and draw inspiration from the burgeoning local arts and culture ecosystem. The hour-long discussion offered insight into the studio practices, methodologies and careers of some of the most important artists working in Nigeria today. Together with the panellists, Adeniyi-Jones considered the wider context of their work intersected with the personal and collective histories that bind them, whilst questioning how culture continually shapes moments of inspiration for those practicing within the country as well as its global sprawling diaspora.
L-R Victor Ehikhamenor, Gbolahan Ayoola, Temitayo Ogunbiyi, Tunji Adeniyi-Jones in conversation at Interwoven Histories.
ABOUT TUNJI ADENIYI-JONES
TUNJI ADENIYI-JONES (b. 1992, London, United Kingdom) is an artist living and working in New York, NY. Adeniyi-Jones received a BFA from The Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, in 2014, and an MFA from Yale University School of Art, New Haven, CT, in 2017. Recent solo exhibitions include Emergent Properties, Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, New York, NY (2022); Voix Intérieures, White Cube, Paris, France (2022); That Which Binds Us, White Cube Bermondsey, London, United Kingdom (2021); Melodic Virtues, Morán Morán, Los Angeles, CA (2021); among others. His work has been included in numerous group exhibitions, including In Our Time: Selections from the Singer Collection, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, AZ (2022); Out of the Fire: The 14th Dakar Biennale, Senegal (2022); Fire Figure Fantasy: Selections from the ICA Miami’s Collection, ICA Miami, FL (2022); All Things Bright and Beautiful, Birmingham Museum of Art, AL (2022); among others. Adeniyi-Jones’s work is included in the permanent collections of the Aishti Foundation, Lebanon; the Dallas Museum of Art, TX; the Nasher Museum of Art, Durham, NC; Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, FL; The Studio Museum, Harlem, NY; among others.
