This painting 'Ethos' is one of the paintings in Akintayo Akintobi's exhibit.
March 6–30, 2025 @ Tusculum University
GREENEVILLE–Tusculum University’sCenter for the Artsis hosting an exhibit featuring depictions of the rich Yoruba culture by renowned artist Akintayo Akintobi in the Clem Allison Art Gallery.
The exhibition, titled “Pattern is Journey,” runs through Sunday, March 30. A reception for Akintobitakes place Thursday, March 6, from 5-7 p.m. in the gallery, which is housed inside Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center.
“His work is excellent and skillful, and I am excited to showcase it at Tusculum,” said Benjamin Conley, assistant professor ofart and designand the gallery’s director.“’Pattern is Journey’showcases a mix of Akintobi's painting practices. He is skilled in both realistic rendering of pattern and texture, while also possessing a brilliance in abstraction and shape. The displayed works exemplify each of these differing, yet connected qualities.”
Akintobiutilizes shapes, patterns, textures and African motifs to convey human emotions, behaviors andreactions to nature and society. Many of his pieces incorporate symbolic representations of metaphors,stories and values specific to the West African and Yoruba cultures in which he was nurtured.
Born in Ibadan, a city in Southwestern Nigeria, Akintobi has painted since he was 7. Heearned a Bachelor of Arts and Education, with a specialization in painting, from Obafemi AwolowoUniversity. He moved to the United States in 2021 and has since participated in several art exhibitionsand competitions both nationally and internationally.
Akintobi has found that this international move is a great inspiration for his art.
“I explore the fusion of my experiences in American and Nigerian culture,” he said. “These works are a meditationon my life growing up in Nigeria alongside my experiences during my graduate program over the lastthree years in the United States. I delve into cultural perspectives within and outside ofmy narrative, tracing identity and creativity within the dynamic context of both countries. This body ofwork is centered on my observations regarding the differences between my former life in Nigeria andmy current life in the United States.”
His journey through understanding the cultural differences has also led him to gain a deeperappreciation of his medium.
“Working with mixed media has led to a more personal way of describing cross-cultural narratives,raising questions about the strangeness of existing in both worlds,” Akintobi said. “In essence, I havefound myself constantly feeling the need to learn, unlearn and relearn the various rules of art andculture so that I can articulate my perspectives and emotions about Nigeria's contrasting ways of lifewith America. My journey, however unique to me, contains universal resonance while shaping myidentity and personality through my life and art.”
Akintobi and Conley shared a studio in graduate school and have been close friends since. When Conley joined the Tusculum faculty in August, Akintobi was one of the first people he asked to hold a solo show in the gallery.
The community can view Akintobi’s work in the gallery from 10 a.m. to4 p.m. Monday through Friday and attend the reception. The visits are free, but Tusculum welcomes donations to support the delivery of these types of programs.
Anyone with questions can email Conley atbconley@tusculum.edu.
Further information about the Center for the Arts is available athttps://site.tusculum.edu/center-for-the-arts/. To learn more about the university, visitwww.tusculum.edu.
Category: Exhibits