Meet Oluwatobiloba Fasalejo | Contemporary Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Oluwatobiloba Fasalejo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Oluwatobiloba, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Initially, my thought about Art is not a business, but a hobby. I find it very easy to work with few local material that I can get as a teenager, with just the little idea I get and with the influence of my environment. I easy adapt with creating art piece with my intellect and make the construction to something beautiful that can be sold and earned from. I don’t really have the mindset of starting a new business like others do, but I just keep up with the craft that make me feel good, I accept the role of a craft man, photographer and an influencer and that has helped me throughout the year in terms of making my Art, taking a perfect but amazing picture of it and posting to social media to gain the interest of my audience. Environmental wise, I engage individuals around me by showing my works to them, I believe I can only create and let the people appreciate and buy if it pleases them.

Though many ups and downs when I began to take my Art as a career, it get to a point where I was exposed to an amazing and a different perspective about the art world which really energize my practice,
I came in contact with different Artists, learn from them and build relationships that contribute positively to my business as an artist. I would create more of art in my space and sell out, and that has become my way of life, I also explore the need to teach and create space for learning in my work, preaching the act of perseverance and creating the idea of how to go about it, making people understand more of the society, business and serve as a therapy to people having troubles in there businesses while still creating my beautiful art works.

Working from home, I have learn to manage my business with life matters, by creating works that expose black identity and fashion that stand as a core course and a motivation that can be seen in every of my art works, I have been able to manage my space, studio and to build up my education background not to affect my business and in the other way round, I engage people in the diaspora through media to communicate a sense of understanding to my practice and the works that I produce per time.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My artist lens is one of a focused bystander experiencing my reality while observing the world around me. That world could be my local community, my country Nigerian which in the past years and till date I have had so many experience with different people in it. Wherever I am, I always feel the need to talk, investigate and perceive the people around me. I accept the significant roles of ethnographer and strategic visionary that we artist have played in the society throughout history. My art reflect black identity, core fashion from my mother trade business and the culture of the people in my environment, their attitude to life, religion and relationships which is one of the way I communicate to people.
My work often deals with the theme of relationship, hope and perseverance, using vibrant colors and dynamic compositions to convey a sense of truth, sharing my reality with the world
Through my art, I aim to give solution, hope, instruction and solve problems to aid a better day and a long life of peace with souls around and in the diaspora
In conclusion, I believe that art has the power to inspire, challenge, and heal. It is my hope that my work will engage and inspire others to see the world in a new light.

Though it wasn’t an easy journey coming this far and did not just get here overnight, it takes a process, training and hard work, I have to work it all out, school, business and my environment that is frightening, I have to put all things in place and work it all out in my favour, it wasn’t easy, but I take that as a lesson and push through

The one thing I do in overcoming my challenges is perseverance, I did not stop, no matter what, even when the course was too much on me and family pressure is much together with what my society is preaching, I still keep doing that thing I know how to do best which is art, I did not let the noise put me down or hindering me from not achieving what I want to achieve and I just put all that together and take it as a lesson, I learn everything.
And one thing I have being able to preach successfully with my work and communicate to people is perseverance, temptation and trials will come, it will get to a point that you fail and it feels like the whole world is against you, but just forget the whole failing process and pick up your stuff and do that thing again, again and again and you definitely going to be successful after putting out many trials and I really want people to put that as a lesson and work on it.

One thing I want the world to know is that, it only takes time and process, no matter what it is you are doing and putting out, the position you are or where you think you are going as an individual, it only takes time.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I stay in a very saucy environment and if I am to make a week long trip so lovely, I will love to take my friend to one of the local but amazing spot along the road that leads to the entrance of my city, the yoga mama make assorted spicy dishes that captivate the lips to want to lean on, the cow skin wrapped in sauce, diced to the taste of anyone taking with a chilled cold drink in vegetables all over

Then to the beach spot that we can hangout, the Araromi beach with a large water and air that spill bliss, lovely people to chat with and refreshment from the local bar, and ladies gallivanting to pick a chat, successfully you are a male that can flirt.
Then the horses and beautiful animals that are available for sight seeing and riding, nature painting it’s cause.

There is also a ShopRite cinema where we can see movies and also get beverages, clothing’s and do some shopping,

Then mama alamala, popularly called, she makes the best Amala in my city with gbegiri and ewedu, so cool

There’s also an ancient rock, the largest rock in my state, the olumo rock, some kilometers away from my present location, we can visit there as well, and see some amazing stuffs that we read in history, artifacts and a gallery with plenty of artworks.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Throughout my years of creating Artworks and working as a full time studio artist, I have met with some amazing personality that really evolve in the same practice and serve as a mentor and inspiration to the works that I produce, some people like Rotimi Godwin, Olatoye David, Olaoye Victor, Abu Oluwaseyi, to mention a few All Nigerian creatives but the act of creating a sense of relationship with me that enhance and expose me to a huge factor of my art practice is a fact and I will really want to have them in this shoutout, they are all amazing people, a teacher and men full of intellect.

Instagram: tobiloba__fasalejo

Twitter: tobiloba__fash

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Other: Email: fasalejotobiloba17@gmail.com WhatsApp: +2349072476004