Rising Nigerian-born artist, Olamide Jasanya, now based in the United Kingdom, is making waves on the European art scene with an evocative trio of paintings that boldly explore migration, identity and global interconnectedness.
As part of the ‘Beyond Borders’ art exhibition celebrating Africa Day 2025, Olamide’s works — Africa Everywhere, Balance, and Journey to Nowhere — stood out for their raw emotional depth and powerful commentary on the African migrant experience.
‘Africa Everywhere’ is a striking visual metaphor of Africa’s cultural influence across continents, depicting a female torso topped with a world map that places Africa in every region — a nod to how African spirit, art, and resilience now echo globally through migration and diaspora.
‘Balance’ captures the cyclical dance of the rainy and sunny seasons, an abstract interpretation of nature’s need for harmony.
The piece explores how migration, like nature, is both disruptive and restorative — a force capable of bridging global inequities.
‘Journey to Nowhere’ is a haunting portrayal of faceless feet walking an undefined path — a solemn commentary on the hope and disillusionment many African migrants face — only to find that the ‘greener pasture’ often mirrors the struggle they left behind.
Speaking about his inspiration, he says: “I paint from a place of reflection. I believe migration is more than movement — it’s emotion, hope, conflict and sometimes loss. My work aims to honour that truth.”
Prior to this, Olamide had been part of other exhibitions, most recently, ‘Identity’ put together in London by Boomer Gallery where he showcased his works alongside 20 other artists.
His works have been praised for keenly looking at the human body and connecting its intricacies to the very sensitive topic of migration and Africa’s relevance to the world.
Listed as one of the top 10 artists to watch out for in 2022, Olamide continues his stead with his arts, showing that physical location cannot be a barrier.
His exhibition in Finland marks another step in an already promising international journey — one that affirms the role of African artists in shaping global conversations about home, belonging and humanity.
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