Slawn’s debut US exhibition to launch over Art Basel 2024
Saturday November 26 – December 10th 2024
Nigerian born Olaoulu Slawn resides in London. His captivating online persona and innate ability to provoke, shock and entertain has established Slawn as a pivotal figure in contemporary visual culture – setting him apart from his academically-trained contemporaries, ensuring his induction into the canon of art history. His work is a combination of both his Yoruba heritage and contemporary youth culture. Slawn exists outside of the traditional art world, and has fostered his own online following of devoted admirers. He satirizes modern society, playing with tongue in cheek stereotypes. Bold, primary coloured portraits make for striking canvases. In his latest body of work, Slawn creates 10 instinctive and raw large-scale canvases. The paintings are a mix of psychedelic jazz-like patterns that transform into crowds of people and satirical portraits of his iconic frowning caricatures. In ‘Mr Green Man’, an anamorphic cactus can’t be loved for fear of impaling anyone who embraces him.
Playing the public obsession with luxury brands. The artist will often release his own defaced “Slawn” collaborations of Rolex, Ferrari, Louis Vuitton, Rimowa, which sellout within minutes after being dropped via his social channels, as a wry comment on consumerism. He has also received commissions from the Brit Awards becoming the youngest artist to do so, following on from Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, and Vivienne Westwood. Furthermore, this year he was selected to create a redesign of the English FA cup, the first ever artist to receive this commission. His early collectors are a group of Nigerian and global rap artists, amongst them Skepta, Central Cee, Dave, A$AP Rocky and Wizkid. He is nominated for GQ’s Man Of The Year 2024.
Saturday November 26 – December 10th 2024
70 NE 40th St.