Born in Lagos in 1975, Peju Alatise is one of Nigeria’s most celebrated contemporary artists and cultural voices. Her multidisciplinary practice spans sculpture, installation, painting, architecture, writing, and storytelling, unified by a commitment to addressing social, political, and gender based issues through art.
Alatise grew up in a large family where questions about identity, opportunity, and the purpose of creative expression shaped her early years. Early exposure to visual art nurtured her curiosity, but she first completed a degree in architecture at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in Oyo State, Nigeria. Architecture gave her a unique perspective on structure, form, and spatial thinking, which later informed the narrative depth and conceptual complexity of her artistic work.
The Architecture of Imagination
Her architectural background instilled a mode of thinking that transformed her artistic vision. In her work, form and concept are inseparable. Alatise builds immersive worlds that confront and invite reflection on the realities of Nigerian society and the broader African experience.
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While she initially explored painting and jewelry design, she soon gravitated toward multimedia sculpture and installations, employing cloth, beads, resin, wood, and found materials in ways that push traditional artistic boundaries. She believes art should reflect the era in which it is made, not exist outside life’s challenges. This philosophy has led her to tackle issues such as gender inequality, child rights, exploitative labor practices, and the marginalization of women and girls.
Art as Narrative and Resistance
Alatise’s work is deeply narrative and symbolic, drawing from Yoruba cosmology, spiritual imagery, and oral storytelling traditions. Her sculptures and installations do more than depict figures; they weave stories exploring the tensions between oppression and liberation, tradition and transformation, constraint and imagination.
One of her most recognized works, Flying Girls, was exhibited at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017, marking Nigeria’s official debut at the prestigious global exhibition. The installation featured eight life-size sculptures of girls with wings, representing dreams of freedom, resilience, and belonging rooted in myth and lived experience. Through this work, Alatise highlights the aspirations of young girls in a world often hostile to their personhood and agency.
Global Recognition and Major Exhibitions
Alatise’s work has been shown across the globe at major venues including the Casablanca Biennale in Morocco, EVA International Biennial in Ireland, the August Wilson African American Cultural Center in the United States, and the Cooper Gallery for African and African American Art at Harvard University. Her exhibitions have also been featured in London, Florence, and New York. Her work has been collected by institutional and private collectors worldwide. In 2026, she continues to gain international appreciation with major exhibitions such as I Will Belong to Only Me, the first solo survey of her work in the United States, demonstrating her influence on contemporary African art and beyond.
Awards and Institutional Roles
In 2017, Peju Alatise was awarded the FNB Art Prize, one of Africa’s most prestigious visual art accolades, recognizing her compelling visual language and social engagement. She is also a fellow at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, contributing to global conversations about culture, identity, and equity.
Writer, Innovator, and Works on the Page
Alatise’s creativity extends into literature. She is a published author of two novels, including Orita Meta, which explores layered narratives about women’s lives and societal intersections. Her writing complements her visual art, allowing her to craft stories that bridge material form and symbolic meaning. Through both visual and written media, she conveys histories and futures, highlighting voices often overlooked in national and global dialogues.
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Mentorship and Legacy
Beyond her artistic output, Peju Alatise is deeply invested in nurturing emerging talent. She founded the Alter Native Artists Initiative (ANAI) Foundation, a Lagos based incubator providing mentorship, residency space, and technical resources for young visual artists. This creative ecosystem ensures the next generation of voices has support to flourish. Her contributions provide not only representation for women in art but practical pathways for sustained artistic growth and freedom of expression.
Author’s Note
Peju Alatise’s life and work demonstrate art’s potential as a site of resistance, storytelling, and transformation. From Lagos to the global art stage, she has used her multidisciplinary gifts to interrogate social norms and highlight the lived realities of women and girls with courage and nuance. As an architect of ideas and form, her sculptures, novels, and installations invite readers to confront injustice while imagining new possibilities rooted in myth, spirituality, and agency. Alatise’s art is not only about what is but about what could be, a future where creativity champions compassion, resilience, and belonging for all.
References
Peju Alatise Wikipedia biography
I Will Belong to Only Me August Wilson African American Cultural Center
Peju Alatise Nigeria’s Visionary Artist of Myth and Social Justice nigeria234
Peju Alatise Nigerian Artist Transcending Barriers ThisDayLive and Al Jazeera background
Peju Alatise Recognition and FNB Art Prize announcement
Peju Alatise Artist Profile Girl Child Art Foundation
Expanded exhibitions and career CV from artspace and press releases
