Arobieke: ‘I love portraying uniquely African lifestyles in my paintings’

By Pauline Odhiambo

Three things stand out in Tomiwa Arobieke’s art – bold African hairstyles, beautiful flower patterns and deep brown skin tones.

The Nigerian artist draws inspiration from his Yoruba heritage and various African cultures which showcase the beauty of indigenous styles.

“I love portraying uniquely African lifestyles in my paintings which reveal our way of dressing and the different hairstyle we choose,” the figurative artist tells TRT Afrika.

Figurative art refers to any form of modern art that retains strong references to the real world and particularly to the human figure.

According to Clarendon Fine Art platform, the genre includes images depicting objects and scenes as well as portraits.

Regal cultures

One of Tomiwa’s latest pieces is ‘Goddess’ – an aptly titled portrait of a young African woman wearing a uniquely African hairstyle.

Her confident gaze and calm demeanour matching the cool colours of her garment. “I prefer to paint women figures because they bring out the beauty of African culture better,” the 25-year old painter explains.

The female muse in nearly all his paintings have elaborate hairstyles – intricately woven into locks whose texture convincingly mimics the real deal.

The effect is a crown-like appearance that speaks volumes of regal histories and cultures.

His paintings titled ‘Elegance,’ ‘African Queen’ and many others celebrate natural hairstyles and other unique elements of African fashion.

Power couples

“I also enjoy painting couples because I find the concept of love in an African setting very intriguing,” says the Ondo state native.

His artwork titled ‘Companion’ painted in 2022 was one of his first pieces featuring couples.

He has painted many similar portraits since that first installation, adding elements of nature to enhance the implied ideas of good health, fertility and abundance.

“Illustrating the love between couples also enhances the idea of peace with certain environments and promotes cohesion with nature as well,” Tomiwa says.

“I like to add in floral images in most of my painting to represent all the positive things that can bloom from love and relationships within an African setting,” he adds.

‘Aro Meta’

Tomiwa’s series titled ‘Aro Meta’ further expounds on the strong bonds of friendship.

“In the Yoruba language ‘aro meta’ is a term for friends who are so close that their mannerisms are similar,” he explains.

“Such friends are always seen in each other’s company and often have a similar style of dressing or talking.”

Along the same vein, Tomiwa’s painting title ‘Men Affairs’ is an attempt to capture the camaraderie of brotherhood as well as the social interactions between groups of men.

Both the men and women featured in Tomiwa’s oil and acrylic on canvas paintings have that old school glamour reminiscent of old photographs but with sharper definition.

Taking chances

Tomiwa has had many defining moment in the evolution of his art. His paintings have showcased in several reputable galleries in different parts of the world.

He attributes his success to staying true to his passion and choosing an art career against all odds.

The self-taught artist studied at Ibadan Polytechnic where he graduate with a diploma in science laboratory technology.

“I used do pencil drawing back then and would do commissions for people to make money,” the young artist recalls.

Art focus

After graduating he worked briefly as an assistance at a microfinance back before deciding to fully focus on his art.

“From that job, I was able to save enough money to buy art supplies,” he says. “But it was a long time before I finally sold a painting.”

Many of Tomiwa’s paintings now sell before he even completes them.

His latest painting ‘Goddess’ is the latest to sell before completion.

His advice to aspiring artists: “Art is about patience, so just keep doing it. You might get off to a slow start but it will eventually pick up.”

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