Tell us about your background and how you first became interested in art.

I was born in Lagos, Nigeria and grew up there until I went to boarding school in England aged 11, in 2011. During my childhood in Lagos, most of the art that I was exposed to was Nigerian or West African, and it was often in domestic settings rather than in museums or galleries. I’ve always been interested in art and enjoyed visiting exhibitions as a pastime in London or on holiday in other cities, but my interest really grew in my final two years at school when I had the opportunity to study History of Art and decided to pursue it as a BA degree.

You're currently studying art history at the University of Cambridge. What is your interest or area of focus?

The degree itself, like most art history degrees, is quite rigid in the sense that there isn’t room to specialize much outside of the traditional canon, but we do have our dissertations (theses for Americans!) which allows for specializing. My area of interest is definitely contemporary art from Africa, West African countries in particular, and work made by artists in the African diaspora.

What was the impetus for launching the account @ablackhistoryofart?

I launched the account in February of this year, and it was born mainly out of my frustration towards the lack of Black representation in my degree – I didn’t study a single black artist in my first year. I also took a contemporary art paper from January to March 2020, which was the first time I had the opportunity to engage with art created by Black people in my degree. It was so enriching to finally consider Black narratives as a part of art history, and I really wanted to continue this in some way because I didn’t want to graduate from an Art History degree without having knowledge about the Black figures who played a part in its formation but are so often overlooked. More than anything I started the page as a means to self-educate, I’m just astounded and grateful for the fact that there are this many people interested in it.

It's grown so quickly in its first year, congrats! What is the mission behind your platform and what kind of artists do you highlight?

Thank you, I still can’t really believe it. My mission is to continually celebrate and platform emerging and forgotten black artists from all over the world, working towards a diversification of the way art is taught and presented in Western curriculums and institutions. Overall, I would like to encourage a more global and inclusive approach to art and art history.

Who are a few artists inspiring you right now?

Definitely the painter, Samuel de Saboia. Also, Nengi Omuku and Cassi Namoda respectively, I could stare into their paintings for days. The work of sculptor, Simone Yvette Leigh is also very inspiring, and now she’s set to be the first black woman to represent the USA at the Venice Biennale.

What are your career goals for the future and with @ablackhistoryofart?

My greatest hope is that somehow @ablackhistoryofart can help to make some real changes in the art world, and that I can continue to collaborate with businesses, brands and institutions that have the power to elicit such change. For me personally, I would like to be a curator and put on exhibitions that challenge the status quo for the better, both at home in Lagos, and in the Western world.