Bola Meshioye
BA (Hons) Illustration with Animation
I am a Nigerian illustrator who moved to the UK to pursue a higher education in Art. My work is a celebration of my country, the culture and the people. Moving to the UK helped me find a deeper appreciation for my culture and see the beauty in the chaos that is Nigeria. It is this beauty and energy that I try to capture in my work using vibrant colours, lines and textures.
In 3rd year I created a body of work called 'Ori' which was inspired by Yoruba mythology and photographs taken of ancient Nigerian hairstyles by the late Nigerian photographer J.D Okhai. I also created a collection of book covers for chapters from 'Of This Our Country' which is a compilation of short stories by different Nigerian authors that reside both within the country and in the diaspora about their personal experiences with the culture and country as a whole. Primarily a digital artist, I also enjoy working with traditional media like colour pencils and ink.
I grew so much as an artist in 3rd year; I learned to embrace my heritage and my culture as significant parts of my identity. I have become more assured in my purpose as an illustrator and I am looking forward to getting commissioned by clients who find interest in my work and continue to challenge and develop my practice. I hope to create more work that include typography like posters, book covers and even album covers that celebrate my culture and create visuals for topics I feel passionate about.
