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Laolu Senbanjo

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Laolu Senbanjo
Born
Lagos, Nigeria
Known forThe Sacred Art of the Ori
Notable workBeyonce's Visual Album, Lemonade
Websitehttp://www.laolu.nyc

Laolu (Olaolu) Senbanjo, also known as "Laolu NYC", is a Nigerian visual artist, musician, singer/songwriter and former human rights attorney.[1]

Early life

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Senbanjo was born and raised in Ilorin, Nigeria by Yoruba parents. His father was a lawyer, his mother was a nurse. He grew up performing in his church's choir. While in school he had a music group called Light and Fire which performed original songs and covers.[2][3]

Senbanjo studied law at Nigeria's Law School and, despite wanting to drop out during his second year, received his degree in 2005.[4] He then worked as a human rights lawyer for five years, spending his final three years working at the National Human Rights Commission as a senior legal officer focusing on women and children's rights. Senbanjo travelled to different parts of Northern Nigeria visiting schools and villages to educate men and women about why children should be in school.[5][6][7][8][9]

"I knew if I pursued a career in the arts, I'd have to live with the fact that some people in my hometown might never talk to me again", said Senbanjo in an interview with 99U.[4] Despite this, in 2010 Senbanjo quit his job as a lawyer and started the Laolu Senbanjo Art Gallery in Abuja, Nigeria.

Senbanjo moved to Brooklyn, New York, in August 2013 to pursue his art career.

Visual art

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Senbanjo has coined his style of art, Afromysterics, meaning mystery of the African thought pattern. It incorporates African themes and African traditions. His uses charcoal and distinct patterns to create complex, story-rich art designs that draw heavily on his Yoruba heritage and feature ancient Nigerian symbols and patterns.[2][10] Senbanjo says his Nigerian roots are a major source for his visual inspiration. Though his visual references have been described as sharing "affinities with Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring".[11]

He has had commissions from and formed partnerships with, celebrities and brand titans including Nike,[12] Beyoncé's album Lemonade, the Grammy Museum and the Smithsonian Institution.[4] He has also partnered with Danielle Brooks (who plays Tasha Jefferson on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black). In June 2015, Senbanjo's new mantra became "everything is my canvas" and he began painting on everything from shoes, to jackets, to people.[13] He created the Sacred Art of the Ori Ritual,[14] which he describes and explains in an 11 September 2017 TED talk.[15][16] In his TED talk, Senbanjo talks about his work Dreamscape. In Laolu Senbanjo’s 2018 print, Dreamscape, he reflects his frustration with the injustice in the world.[17] Working as a human rights attorney, he saw cases with children who faced the harsh reality of getting forced into marriage or continuing their education at a university.[17] The artwork “is a mind map,” starting where most life does, from a vagina, to then connecting the journey of life and all that comes with that experience to the origin story of being born.[18] Some of the print’s “major themes include religion, war, politics, technology, Egyptology, sexuality, economics, environmental waste, media, history, music, greed and human nature.”[18] Like most of his art, a bold design connects each element in the work inspired by his Yoruba ancestry. Another example of his art style and ancestral Yoruba influence that is more well-known is showcased in Beyoncé’s Lemonade, where Senbanjo’s body art is showcase throughout the visual album.[19]

Selected exhibitions and talks

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  • December 2014: Three shows at Art Basel Miami.[20][21]
  • May 2016: His exhibit "Sounds of Africa" opens at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, CA in collaboration with BET.[22]
  • September 2016: Laolu performs " Creation as a Ritual: Performing Disguise", a live art installation[23] featuring three dancers and live musicians,[24] at the Brooklyn Museum.[25]

Art appearances in selected music videos

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Senbanjo and his Sacred Art of the Ori Ritual has been featured in various music videos, including:

Brand collaborations

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Senbanjo has been invited to collaborate with several brands, including:

Music

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Senbanjo is a world music artist who draws influences from Fela Kuti, Sade (singer), Bob Marley, and King Sunny Adé. His musical style is deeply rooted in the traditions of Afrobeat and High Life, mixed with Afro-Soul and Reggae. Senbanjo blends singing in his native Yoruba language and often translates Yoruba folks songs, proverbs and his oriki into English.[36][37][38]

Select music appearances

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "About Laolu-Laolu NYC". laolu.nyc. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  2. ^ a b "News". Laolu.NYC. Archived from the original on 3 December 2017.
  3. ^ "Tales of tomorrow: The talks of Session 10 of TED2017". 28 April 2017. Archived from the original on 1 May 2017.
  4. ^ a b c Lara, Jacqueline (1 December 2016). "Laolu Senbanjo: How an unlikely Nigerian artist landed his designs in Beyoncé's album Lemonade". 99U by Behance. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  5. ^ Edvige, Jean-Francois. "His art adorns Nike shoes and Beyoncé dancers". CNNMoney. Archived from the original on 22 January 2017.
  6. ^ "The mysterious body painter behind Beyonce's 'Lemonade'". CNN Video. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017.
  7. ^ "Africa Live: Thursday 24 September 2015 – as it happened". 25 September 2015. Archived from the original on 24 November 2016 – via www.bbc.com.
  8. ^ "Krief, artist Laolu Senbanjo, audiobook historian Matthew Rubery, mini food artist Jay Baro". 5 January 2017. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017.
  9. ^ "Nigerian Artist Laolu Senbanjo on Race and Community in Flatbush". DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017.
  10. ^ "I Was a Struggling Immigrant Artist. Then Beyoncé Called". Cosmopolitan. 11 December 2017. Archived from the original on 14 December 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  11. ^ News, artnet (27 April 2016). "Meet The Body Artist Behind Beyoncé's Visual Album". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  12. ^ a b "MASTER OF AIR LAOLU SENBANJO". nike.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  13. ^ a b Best, Tamara (30 November 2016). "A Nigerian Artist Who Uses the Skin as His Canvas". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 27 November 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  14. ^ "Laolu Senbanjo – The Sacred Art of The Ori". youtube.com. Archived from the original on 8 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  15. ^ Akindele, Toni (27 April 2016). "Meet Laolu Senbanjo, the Nigerian Artist Behind the Body Art in Beyoncé's 'Lemonade'". Essence.com. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017.
  16. ^ "Nigerian Visual Artist Laolu Senbanjo Talks Beyoncé's 'Lemonade'". OkayAfrica. 24 April 2016. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017.
  17. ^ a b Senbanjo, Laolu, "The Sacred Art of the Ori", retrieved 10 April 2021
  18. ^ a b "Dreamscape". BOCCARA ART Galleries. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  19. ^ Rogers, Jamie Ann (2020). "Diasporic Communion and Textual Exchange in Beyoncé's Lemonade and Julie Dash's Daughters of the Dust". Black Camera. 11 (2): 130–157. doi:10.2979/blackcamera.11.2.07. JSTOR 10.2979/blackcamera.11.2.07. S2CID 219873584.
  20. ^ Zuckerman, Alicia (5 December 2014). "Trayvon Martin, Black Life Inspire Art Africa In Overtown". Archived from the original on 4 January 2018.
  21. ^ "The 10 Best Events You Missed At Art Basel Miami 2017". Vibe. 15 December 2017. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  22. ^ "Sounds Of Africa Presented by the GRAMMY Museum, in partnership with BET International". grammymuseum.org. Archived from the original on 8 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  23. ^ "Creation as Ritual: Performing Disguise Saturday, September 17, 2016". brooklynmuseum.org. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  24. ^ "Creation as a ritual:performing in disguise by artist LaoLu at the Brooklyn museum". youtube.com. Archived from the original on 8 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  25. ^ "Brooklyn Museum". Archived from the original on 15 September 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  26. ^ "Black Coffee Enlists Laolu Senbanjo & Mque for His New Video for 'Come With Me' – OkayAfrica". 18 May 2016. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017.
  27. ^ Coscarelli, Joe (23 April 2016). "Beyoncé Releases Surprise Album 'Lemonade' After HBO Special". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  28. ^ "Jussie Smollett makes a hypnotizing plea in his "Catch Your Eye" video".
  29. ^ "Bad Bunny & J Balvin Tell an Emotional Ghost Story in 'La Canción' Video". Billboard.
  30. ^ "#MyStepsWill build bridges. What will your steps do? – @Afromysterics". twitter.com. Archived from the original on 8 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  31. ^ "Bulgari Man in Black Essence". bulgari.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  32. ^ "Laolu Senbanjo brings it all together".
  33. ^ "Belvedere vodka joins forces with acclaimed artist Laolu Senbanjo for global collaboration including stunning limited edition bottle".
  34. ^ "Belvadere Vodka x Laolu Senbanjo launches at NYFW".
  35. ^ "ESSENCE Launches September's Global Fashion Issue With Fresh New Redesign".
  36. ^ "Laolu & the Afromysterics". soundcloud.com. Archived from the original on 8 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  37. ^ "Spotify". play.spotify.com. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  38. ^ "Mama Africa – Single by Laolu NYC on Apple Music". iTunes. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  39. ^ "Laolu Senbanjo – SXSW 2015 Event Schedule". schedule.sxsw.com. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
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