Àsìkò

About the artist

Ade "Àsìkò" Okelarin is a visual artist who primarily works in the medium of photography. Born in London, England in 1978, Àsìkò spent his formative years in Lagos, Nigeria and his adolescence back in London. Àsìkò’s work is constructed in the narrative that straddles between fantasy and reality as a response to his experiences of identity, culture and heritage.

Àsìkò currently works in London and Nigeria. In addition to art gallery and exhibition participation, Àsìkò does portraiture work for clients in the fashion, entertainment and music industries.

Sources of inspiration

Àsìkò is deeply inspired by his African culture and the beauty it represents in the world.
 

As part of his personal journey of self-discovery, he unpacks his culture and heritage through his work. The influences of Àsìkò’s Nigerian and European upbringing play a crucial role in informing his visual voice and aesthetic.

Àsìkò’s photographs resonate with emotions and elements of his past, exploring his roots as an African and his connection to the contemporary world.

When starting out in photography, Àsìkò’s work was primarily inspired by esteemed photographers Tim Walker, Sarah Moon and Paolo Roversi. These photographers particularly influenced the whimsical nature and story telling elements of Àsìkò’s work.

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Visually celebrating womanhood

Interested in exploring the beauty imbued within black women and how strength plays a part in their portrayal, Àsìkò started to explore womanhood from the recollection of a childhood memory at his grandmother’s funeral. He came across a woman whom he describes as "tall, dark, with fierceness in her disposition". The woman seemed to be quite important as everyone at the funeral seemed to revere her and she was layered in jewellery of different textures and sizes. Àsìkò cites this encounter as forming the aesthetic basis for his Adorned series.
 

From this point onwards, Àsìkò decided to start exploring womanhood, female archetypes and their confluence with identity and culture, and in particular, African culture.

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Àsìkò’s Woman Code series draws inspiration from the African symbols of Adire which are used to adorn textiles in South-West Nigeria. Decades ago, Adire was used as a form of communication between Yoruba women operating in a patriarchal Nigerian society. The symbols became a form of communication and resistance among the Yoruba women. In the images, Àsìkò aims to restore the symbols to their truest origin by stripping them from the fabric and adorning them onto the women themselves.  

 

Going forward

 ‘’One of the reasons I create images is to represent my African aesthetic in a positive light. My aim is to contribute to the changing narrative of the beauty of being African.” - Àsìkò