About

Suraj Adekola 

Contemporary Artist

Bio

Suraj Adekola (b. 1983) is a Nigerian-born, Manchester-based contemporary artist whose practice merges painting, installation, and cultural symbolism to explore themes of identity, memory, and globalisation. Drawing from personal history and collective narratives, Suraj creates deeply layered works that invite viewers to reflect on belonging, resilience, and the complexity of Black experience in a global context.

 

At the heart of his practice is the repurposing of traditional Adire (indigo tie-dye) fabric — a craft indigenous to his hometown of Egbaland, Abeokuta, the capital of Adire-making in Nigeria. By transforming this heritage textile into painted surfaces and immersive installations, he reclaims its cultural weight and uses it as a visual language to anchor his stories. For Suraj, material is not just surface — it is memory, a vessel of history, and a bridge between home and diaspora.

 

Through acclaimed series such as We Should All Be Blacks and Currency of Ambition, Suraj examines how cultural materiality reinforces belonging, power, and identity. Much of his work also serves as a tribute to Black people: their loud silences, unspoken emotions, worth, beauty, and unrecognised contributions to the Western world.

 

Guided by his mantra, “Art as light, cloth as memory,” Suraj’s works transcend aesthetics; they function as sites of healing, dialogue, and empowerment. His evolving body of work continues to challenge cultural narratives, merging personal introspection with universal questions of what it means to be seen, valued, and remembered.

CV

EDUCATION

2021 – 2022, MA Contemporary Fine Arts, University of Salford, Manchester, UK.

 

2005 - 2007, Higher National Diploma (HND) Painting.

2002 - 2004, Ordinary National Diploma (OND) Painting and General Arts.

School of Art and Design, Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi,

Edo State, Nigeria.

 

 

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

 

  • 2024 Beyond The Box: Izwi Art, Somerset House, London.

  • 2023 How Beautiful We Were (Are): Kanbi Contemporary Projects, Artsy.

  • 2023 Black Beauty, Pride, and Excellence: A Tale of Reappropriation, London Business School, UK.

  • 2022  Proudly Naija Souk, Group Show, London.

  • 2022 Degree Show, Impact: University of Salford.

  • 2021 Solo Exhibition, Infinite Growth: Alexis Galleries, Lagos, Nigeria.

  • 2020 Tenacity: Terra-Kulture Art Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria.

  • 2019 A journey into Contemporary African Art, Beirut, Lebanon.

  • 2019 Love with Nature: Triple-A All About Art, Lagos, Nigeria.

  • 2018 Ubuntu Art Exhibition: Lagos, Nigeria.

  • 2018 Culture and Tradition - Same Experience, Different Local: The Koppel Project, London.

  • 2018 Triad Group Exhibition: Alexis Galleries, Lagos, Nigeria.

  • 2017 Everyday Humanity: Kanbi Contemporary Gallery, United Kingdom.

  • 2016 Ferrum Art House: Rele Art Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria.

  • 2015 Beyond All Odds: Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Abuja, Nigeria.

  • 2014 October Rain: Society of Nigerian Artists Show, Lagos, Nigeria.

  • 2012 Colour and Carnival 2: Calabar, Nigeria. 2011 Colour and Carnival 1, Calabar, Nigeria.

  • 2010 Generational Statement: Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Abuja, Nigeria.

  • 2008 Nigerian Cultural Landscape in Perspective: Abuja, Nigeria. 

AUCTIONS

 

  • 2020  Piasa African and Contemporary Art Auction, Paris, France.
  • 2019  Cabral Moncada Leiloes, Lisbon, Portugal.
  • 2019  Geneve Encheres, Switzerland.
  • 2019  Art House African Art Auction, Nigeria.
  • 2018  Piasa African and Contemporary Art Auction, Paris, France.
  • 2017  Piasa African and Contemporary Art Auction, Paris, France.
  • 2015  Bonham's Art Auction London, United Kingdom.
  • 2011  TKMG Art Auction, Lagos, Nigeria.

  • 2010  TKMG Art Auction, Lagos, Nigeria.