Bunmi Agusto
Bunmi Agusto’s (b. 1999, Lagos, Nigeria) practice follows the inhabitants of a surrealist wonderland in her mind called Within. The indigenous inhabitants of this world are hybrids whose human form is combined with elements she finds integral to her sense of self and cultural consciousness. Non-Hybrid humans are also present in Within as family members, friends and passersby in the artist’s waking life are subsumed into the world through encounters and begin to occupy the role of immigrants into her mind. Her works therefore explore cultural theory and the evolution of selfhood through the lens of fantasy. She cites stories such as Amos Tutuola’s The Palm Wine Drinkard, Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as major influences. She also works predominantly with pastel pencils and mixed media.
Agusto earned her BA in Fine Art in 2020 from Central Saint Martins where she graduated with First Class Honours and was awarded the Cass Art Prize twice. She is currently undergoing an MA in the History of Art & Archaeology at SOAS University with a theoretical focus on the influence of West African spirituality in contemporary fantasy storytelling. Bunmi Agusto has been the subject of solo exhibitions at TAFETA, London (2022) and DADA Gallery (2021). Select group exhibitions include ASSEMBLE, V.O Curations Mayfair, London (2022); 1-54 x Christie’s, London (2021); Now, Now, TAFETA, London; London Grads Now, Saatchi Gallery, London (2020).