adéwálé('Wale)adénlé 

 

Adéwálé (‘Wálé) Adénlé's explores dual realities and logics in political constructs and systems, arriving at a three-dimensional work that vastly engages the viewer to unload and search for multiple logics in its interpretation. Within these dualities, he induces metaphorical slippages in relationships between objects and their context to form new meanings and expose contradictions in many conventional social structures. 'Wale has visited and lived within many cultures across four continents through his active practice as a painter, author, museum/cultural administrator, socio-political cartoonist/ art editor with various newspapers, as well as his engagements as fellowships/awards recipient, workshop facilitator, and his official humanitarian service efforts with Rotary International. 

 

'Wálé obtained his undergraduate degree in Studio Art at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Nigeria. He received an M.A degree in Museum Studies from Southern University in New Orleans and MFA in 2D Studio Art (Painting/Drawing) from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.  He also had 15-Quarter Hours of Animation Studies at Savannah College of Art and Design (Atlanta Campus).  'Wálé has taught art and theory classes in New Orleans public schools, Miami University, Texas Tech University, Ohio State University. He has over 20 years experience exhibiting his paintings and working as a political cartoonist/illustrator/art editor with various newspapers in Nigeria, the U.S and Great Britain. In the 90's, his acerbic socio-political cartoons and paintings were thorns in the flesh of dictatorial military regimes in Nigeria as the country was agitating for democracy. He has won numerous awards and grants among which are the 2000 Reuters News Graphics Travel Award, which included an instructive participation at the Malofiej/ Show-Don't- Tell-workshops at the University of Navarra, Pamplona- Spain, and work experience at Reuters in London, UK. He has given lectures and workshops at Rochester Institute of Technology-New York, Amarillo College-Texas, Cartoonist Rights Network/State Department's Sponsored workshop in Douala, Cameroon, among others. From 2002 to 2004, 'Wale was a studio painter at Marcus Akinlana's WON Murals-New Orleans, where he assisted in executing several public projects including the murals for the Philadelphia International Airport, PA and Aurora Community Center, CO.  

 

'Wálé is the author of “Mixed feelings”, a 15-year celebration/collection of his socio-political satire. Published in 2000, the book was collected by The University of California (Berkeley Library) for selected acquisitions in Africana Studies and catalogued at The Library of Congress, Washington, DC. His most recent public commission includes among others, “Congo Square” a 7ft x11ft cast bronze sculpture, commissioned by the city of New Orleans and installed at the Louis Armstrong Park.