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Oil on canvas16 W X 20 H X 2 D - 2025Not framedBy Oludare SamsonNigeriaOil on canvas16 W X 20 H X 2 D - 2025Not framedBy Oludare SamsonNigeriaOil on canvas16 W X 20 H X 2 D - 2025Not framedBy Oludare SamsonNigeria
Born in 1990 in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, Oludare Kolawole Samson, professionally known as Olu Samson, is a contemporary Nigerian artist renowned for his masterful use of color and geometric transformation. A native of Ondo State, Samson earned his first tertiary degree in Art and Industrial Design (Painting Major) from The Polytechnic, Ibadan, where he studied from 2012 to 2017.
Olu Samson’s work stands out for its vibrant chromatic scale and ability to translate geometric abstraction into realistic representation. As a color field painter, he works primarily with oil and acrylic paints, often mixing over 25 hues to achieve each color in his innovative palette. His compositions explore volume, visual planes, and movement within a two-dimensional framework, creating a dynamic and kinetic viewing experience.
In 2022, he launched one of his most ambitious projects to date: a visual documentation of Nigerian hairstyles. This body of work explores hairstyles as expressions of cultural identity, social commentary, and African postcolonial modernity—celebrating them as both personal and communal art forms.
Samson has exhibited in Nigeria at events such as the ADAPTSA Exhibition (2017) and the Drum Festival Exhibition (2018). Internationally, he gained recognition as the second-place winner in the Talentila Foundation Art Competition in India, which featured over 870 artists from 53 countries. He was also selected for the Art for Cause exhibition in India.
Through his richly layered work, Olu Samson continues to celebrate African heritage while pushing the boundaries of color, form, and narrative.