Barry Yusufu
Barry Yusufu is a self-taught Nigerian artist known for his rapid climb through the international contemporary ranks as a greatly desired and highly collectable talent. Born in 1996 in Nigeria, he works with gradated charcoal drawing techniques and boldly coloured acrylic paints to create his icon-esque works that reflect both a deep-rooted Christian faith and an intense desire to elevate the image of African men and women in art. Yusufu cites his work as a reflection of an intense desire to reflect the modern African and sees it as an opportunity to foster an evolution of Africanness and a spark to level up.
Much of Yusufu’s art is inspired by outdated and patronising images and portrayals of African people and the kinds of images and outdated Euro-centric depictions of people in power seen in the museums and galleries of his youth. He tackles these assumptions with vigour, determined to break the moulds of clichéd African imagery with his portraiture.
In keeping with the Godliness (his words) of his portraits, Yusufu focuses on finessing facial features at the end of his painting process, determined to enhance each subject’s uniquely beautiful features, raising them to iconic status. Yusufu has showcased his work throughout Europe, in New York and London - without a doubt a contemporary African art name to note.
COUNTRY • NIGERIA
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