Toyin Ojih Odutola facts for kids

Toyin Ojih Odutola (born in 1985) is a talented Nigerian-American artist. She is famous for her amazing drawings and artworks on paper. She often uses different materials like pastels, charcoal, and ink to create her unique pieces.

Early Life and School

Toyin Ojih Odutola was born in 1985 in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Her parents were both teachers. In 1990, her family moved to the United States. They first lived in Berkeley, California, where her father was doing research at a university.

In 1994, her family moved to Huntsville, Alabama. Her father became a professor there, and her mother worked as a nurse. Toyin has family roots from both the Yoruba and Igbo people in Nigeria.

She loved art from a young age. In 2008, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art and Communications. This was from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Later, in 2012, she received her Master of Fine Arts degree. She got this from the California College of the Arts in San Francisco.

Her Art Career

While still in art school, Toyin had her first solo art show in New York in 2011. It was called "(MAPS)." This show featured drawings of black figures on white backgrounds. She used a ballpoint pen to create many layers in her art. This series helped her become known for her unique way of showing black skin in art.

In 2012, Forbes magazine recognized her as one of 30 notable people under 30 in "Art & Style." This was a big achievement early in her career.

Storytelling Through Art

In 2015, Toyin's art started to include more storytelling. Her museum exhibition, "Untold Stories," showed this new direction. She began to add written stories to her artworks.

In 2017, her art was featured on the cover of Juxtapoz Magazine. This was for her exhibition "To Wander Determined" at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. This show featured a series of portraits. These portraits told a fictional story about two important Nigerian families. Toyin wanted viewers to think about what is real and what is made up in art.

Recent Works and Recognition

In 2018, she took part in a big international art event called Manifesta in Italy. She also became one of 21 artists chosen for the Future Generation Art Prize in 2019. Her work was shown in Ukraine and later at the Venice Biennale, a very famous art exhibition.

Toyin Ojih Odutola was honored in 2019 by the National Academy of Design. This award recognized her important contributions to American art.

In August 2020, her first solo museum exhibition in the United Kingdom opened. It was at the Barbican Centre in London and was called "A Countervailing Theory." For this show, she created 40 drawings. They told an ancient story set in Nigeria. The artist wanted to "flip the script" on old ideas about African art. She showed how powerful and creative Nigerian art has always been.

Art Style and Inspirations

Toyin Ojih Odutola is known for her very detailed portrait drawings. She often uses black pen ink, but also charcoal, pastel, and pencil. Even though her art looks like portraits, she doesn't think of herself as a portrait artist. The people in her drawings are often made up of features from many different individuals.

She credits her high school art teacher for introducing her to famous African-American portrait artists. These included Jacob Lawrence and Elizabeth Catlett. Toyin also gets ideas from comic books, Japanese manga, and anime. Other modern artists like Kerry James Marshall have also influenced her work.

Toyin explained that she first wanted to draw herself and other Black people. But over time, she became more interested in telling stories. She felt that creating characters helped her art speak for itself. This way, viewers could focus on the images and stories, not just her background.

Art Themes

Toyin Ojih Odutola's art explores many important ideas. She looks at things like unfairness in society and the lasting effects of colonialism. She also explores ideas about identity and what it means to be Black. Her art often touches on experiences of moving to new places and feeling out of place.

Selected Exhibitions

Toyin Ojih Odutola's art has been shown in many places. Here are some of her solo exhibitions:

• 2011: (MAPS), Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. This was her first solo show in New York City.
• 2013: My Country Has No Name, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. This show explored how identity can change and how a portrait is only a small part of a person.
• 2015: Untold Stories, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Missouri.
• 2017–2018: To Wander Determined, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.
• 2020: A Countervailing Theory, Barbican Centre, London, England. This was her first solo museum show in the UK.
• 2020: Tell Me A Story, I Don't Care If It's True, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. This show looked at misunderstandings between pictures and words.

She has also been part of many group exhibitions. Her work has been shown at places like the Brooklyn Museum in New York and the São Paulo Museum of Art in Brazil.

Art in Collections

Toyin Ojih Odutola's artwork is part of many important public art collections. This means her art is owned by museums and can be seen by many people. Some of these include:

• The Museum of Modern Art, New York
• The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
• The National Portrait Gallery, London, United Kingdom
• The National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

Awards and Honors

Toyin Ojih Odutola has received many awards for her amazing art. Some of these include:

• 2007: Ellen Battell Stoeckel Fellowship Grant, Yale University.
• 2011: Murphy and Cadogan Fellowship Award, The San Francisco Foundation.
• 2018: Rees Visionary Award, Amref Health Africa.
• 2019: Shortlisted for the Future Generation Art Prize.
• 2022: Great Immigrants Award, Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Images for kids

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  Lonely Chambers (T.O.), 2011, pen ink and marker drawing on paper, by Toyin Ojih Odutola (Image courtesy of the artist, Jack Shainman Gallery, Adam Green Art Advisory and the Green Family Art Foundation.)