Featured Artist O. Yemi Tubi

Painter O. Yemi Tubi presents a portfolio filled with portraiture, political commentary and an observation of global events. See more of his work by visiting his website.

 

 

I was born in Nigeria and graduated with BFA Degree from Valdosta State College, USA in 1986. I currently live and work as a graphic artist in the UK.

 

 

I use some of my paintings to express myself about ongoing political and social issues around the world. My first political painting was “Arab Revolution” influenced by the Arab Spring that started in 2012.

 

 

“The Eagle Has Landed” was done to speak about American led war on terror. My painting “Kabiyesi Oba Obama (Unquestionable King Obama)” was a political satire based on the love and hate relationship between President Obama and Donald Trump. “The Bleeding Rose” was done in solidarity with Christians beheaded by ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

 

 

“Hunger in the Land of Plenty” and “Oil: Africans’ Wealth and Woe” were about poverty and exploitation of African people. I also used my painting – “Ukraine: The Unfortunate Bride” to speak about how America and Russia influenced the war in Ukraine. “The Fishers of Men” was about immigrants drowning in the sea.

 

 

When I work on portraits, I desire my paintings to be uniquely creative. I often use the paintings to tell stories about my subjects. In one of my commissioned paintings “Josanne of Trinidad”, I blended the images of the parents at the top background cloud and the main subject below the images of her parents. This is to indicate that the parents are in heaven looking down on Josanne.

 

 

I often use my subjects’ professions to create their paintings. I used artist materials to create the painting “Portrait of an Artist” and an image of a violin for the portrait of “The Violinist”.

 

 

I used books and flowing letters to create the portrait of Professor Wole Soyinka, 1986 Nobel Prize Winner in Literature in painting “Soyinka: An African Literary Icon”.

 

 

Life has roses and thorns; sometimes it emanates a sweet aroma of pleasantness and sometimes it pricks and causes pains. I choose to do series of roses and thorns paintings in which the main objects of the paintings are roses and stems of thorns woven into human figures.

 

 

I have widely exhibited my works around the world in group and solo exhibitions. My works have been featured in exhibitions in Bogota, Colombia, Vancouver, Canada, a UN exhibition in Milan, Italy, Tokyo, Japan, in the USA, and in many cities across the United Kingdom. I have received many awards for my works across the world. My works have been published in many art magazines and contemporary art books.

 

 

I am a member of the Fine Art America, the Society of All Artists, AERA (Association Embracing Realistic Art), and WCA (World Citizen Artists).

 

Artist O. Yemi Tubi invites you to follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Google+

 

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