David Olatoye (b. 1995, Ogun State, Nigeria) is a contemporary artist based in Ibadan whose practice engages memory, familyhood, masculinity, and the quiet rituals that shape everyday life. Working primarily with acrylic, pen, fabric, and collage, Olatoye reconstructs domestic interiors and intimate relationships with a reflective tenderness that acknowledges both the sweetness and the tensions woven into daily existence. His stylized portraits merge idealized spaces with lived realities, drawing from personal history, cultural narratives, and emotional architecture to create images of connection, vulnerability, and resilience.
Since launching his professional career in 2020, shortly after completing his B.A./Ed. in Fine and Applied Arts at the highly regarded Obafemi Awolowo University, Olatoye’s trajectory has continued to rise steadily. His work has been exhibited widely both in Nigeria and internationally, including presentations with Aina gallery, Rele Gallery, Wunika Mukan gallery, Christopher Moller Gallery, Ronchini Gallery, Pi Artworks, African Arty, Kanbi Projects, GR Gallery, Dida Art Gallery, and Windsor Gallery. He has also participated in notable fairs such as ART X Lagos, 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair (London and Paris), ART MIAMI, Investec Cape Town Art Fair, and Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary.
As his practice evolves, Olatoye remains deeply committed to examining how love, faith, domesticity, and vulnerability shape the architecture of modern African life. Through each body of work, he continues to build a visual language that honors personal histories while expanding conversations around identity, belonging, and emotional intimacy.