Finding Solace in Music by John Akande

Known for his figurative works which look to explore the open and often contagious display of African culture in its natural state, John Akande comes across as an artist with a refreshing viewpoint in a saturated field. Born, bred and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, September 1995, his early days were heavily influenced by his observations and interactions with the traditional and cultural ongoings inherent in his Immediate environment. Being lucky enough to have an artist for an elder sibling was key to enabling his childhood talent, budding love and interest in the arts to grow encouragingly. Despite being a self-taught artist, he is a graduate of Yaba College of Technology, Lagos as a way of broadening his perspectives and horizons, making him a more mature and sounder artist.

As a proponent of expressionism mixed with a healthy dose of realism, with his chief medium as acrylic on canvas, his broad knowledge and training allowed him to express himself on a lot of other mixed mediums like newspaper on canvas as well as oil. Exhibiting plenty of detailed contrast, emotions, moral culture and a prominent display of storyline apparent to every observer, John’s works are vibrant in the use and display of colors, making them a delight to the optical senses. His deep-rooted love of music and cartoons often make his projects come across as vivid and therapeutic, soothing onlookers and speaking to them in ways easy to understand. John Akande has exhibited both locally and internationally.