Omoyeni Arogunmati

Red is not Permission 2 - 21st Century Contemporary, Impressionist, Modern

2026

Omoyeni Racheal Arogunmati is a Nigerian visual artist whose practice centers on exploring the psychological and emotional states of African women. Born and raised in Nigeria, she studied Fine Art at The Polytechnic of Ibadan and currently serves as a member of the Blkarthouse Artist Advisory Board. Her work blends elements of abstraction, impressionism, and figurative portraiture. Working with oil, acrylic, watercolor, and mixed media, Arogunmati often employs simplified geometric forms, textured surfaces, and bold color fields to express nuanced emotional states. The faces in her paintings often appear serene or contemplative, inviting viewers to reflect on themes of identity, resilience, and inner strength. Arogunmati’s ongoing series, Her State of Mind, features portraits that communicate complex moods such as joy, sadness, introspection, and determination. She frequently works from memory, allowing her personal experiences and cultural heritage to guide each composition. She has exhibited both locally and internationally in solo and group exhibitions, including Face, People, Places at Adeline Gallery; Strength of a Woman, Culture at the Brazilian Embassy in Lagos; Each for Equal at the British High Commission; Lifelines, a group exhibition curated by Fresco Gallery as part of 16 by 16; The Parallax Art Fair at Kensington Town Hall, London; Women of Ife, a group exhibition at the John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, Lagos (2025); Timeless Voiceless, a three-person show at the British Deputy High Commission, organized by Sterling Bank (2025); and the Harlem Fine Art Show, curated by Bilateral at Glasshouse, New York, USA (2026). Her work has been acquired by collectors and institutions, including the Embassy of Ireland in Abuja, as well as a commissioned portrait of Betty Holberton, Founder of Roboflow, in Washington, D.C., USA. Her pieces also belong to private collections across Europe and North America. Arogunmati continues to use her art as a means of storytelling, focusing on narratives that elevate the lived experiences of African women.