Explore a 3D presentation of the exhibition Local Import.
Anthony Olubunmi Akinbola’s layered and multifaceted compositions celebrate and reconcile the cultures that compose his identity as a first-generation American of Nigerian origin. Local Import continues Akinbola’s exploration of the use of durags—fiber scarves used in the maintenance of black hair—as both a material for art-making and a commentary on larger issues of identity, respectability, and commodification of African American culture.
About the artist
Anthony Olubunmi Akinbola was the Museum's 2019 Artist Fellow. The fellowship is dedicated to promoting emerging artists from historically underrepresented communities. MAD Fellows work on site full-time in a dedicated studio space and receive a solo exhibition at the Museum at the end of their fellowship.
Prior to his fellowship at MAD, Akinbola created a monumental wall collage for the Queens Museum. His work has been included in exhibitions at False Flag, LatchKey Gallery, Denny Dimin Gallery, New Image Art Gallery, Bronx River Art Center, Miranda Kuo Gallery, and The Verbeke Foundation in Belgium. His most recent exhibition, Anthony Olubunmi Akinbola: Magic City, is on view at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboyan, Wisconsin through July 11, 2021. Akinbola lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.