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About the artist
Slawn
The past few years have seen a meteoric rise in recognition for London's African-born artistic communities. Arguably the most prominent of these artists to emerge in recent years is Nigerian-born Olaolu Slawn (simply known as just Slawn).
Slawn's work is a self-confessed expression of his identity, channeling not just his Nigerian upbringing but his Yoruba heritage, into multi-faceted works that provide challenging insights and sometimes shocking imagery while remaining visually accessible and unmistakeably unique, bringing the polemic spirit of similar artistic predecessors such as Keith Haring or Banksy.
He playfully refuses to call himself an artist and has largely operated outside of the traditional spaces that contemporary-art has provided. Well known for his Instagram presence and his methods of promoting his work, he has gone viral several times for his subversive nature. Throughout his already spectacular career he has turned his hand to painting walls, canvases, skateboards, clothes, watches and perhaps most famously – vehicles.