For an artist fortunate enough to have encountered two giants of Nigerian modernism Mr. Abiodun Olaku and Dr. Kolade Osinowo, his own journey continues to affirm that greatness is rarely accidental. It is nurtured by mentorship, sustained by discipline and fulfilled through consistency.

Words Ireho Aito | Don’t Keep Your Art in the Finger! Images and Photographs courtesy Babatunde B.B

Such goodness it is, to see big and bold canvases at Quintessence Gallery for the Endless Possibilities exhibition. Endless Possibilities exhibtion is a 12 – artist group exhibtion opened on the 18th of July 2026, ongoing presently and Babatunde B.B body of work is sitting majestically like a royal blood in the upper room.

Displayed prominently in the upper part of the gallery alongside some of the works of eleven other artists, Babatunde B.B’s contribution possesses an unmistakable sense of royalty. Four commanding works hang confidently, filling the space with colour, movement and cultural memory. They feel perfectly at home, almost as if they have always belonged there.

The title of the exhibition, Endless Possibilities, seems almost prophetic for the artist. His own journey has been one of opportunities discovered through persistence, mentorship and the courage to remain faithful to his calling.

Meeting Babatunde during the exhibition was as engaging as meeting his paintings. With a grateful smile, he acknowledged what it meant to be exhibiting among respected contemporaries. Visitors, mostly expatriates, moved from one painting to another, pausing, observing and allowing each work to reveal its own story.

Equally memorable was another presence beside him.

His young son, of about 9 years old, aptly named Goodness, spent the afternoon faithfully recording every moment with his father’s mobile phone, determined to turn our conversation into a short documentary. There was something deeply touching about watching a son document his father’s artistic journey. It was a quiet reminder that creativity often becomes a family inheritance long before it becomes history.

Sharing the conversation was the elegant Adebimpe Adebambo, a multi – disciplinary artist, curator and unmistakable fashion enthusiast. Draped in beautifully styled African textiles, she effortlessly guided conversations around the exhibition, offering thoughtful insights into both the works and the artists. Her understanding of contemporary art added another layer of richness to the afternoon.

Babatunde B.B, is from the family of sculptors. “I am just fortunate to come from such a lineage,” he said with a beautiful pride. He was in fact, fortunate to decide to take his passion through educational part as artistic inheritance was never enough for proper positioning.

He is a native of Irepodun, Kwara State but grew up in the beautiful city of Lagos with endless possibilities for dreams reality. Education proved decisive in shaping him.

“I attended one of the best schools in Lagos known for its prowess art.”
Babatunde attended Anw-ur – Islamic College in the suburb of Agege. This school has commanding distinction when it comes to secondary schools and art competitions. They were trailblazer.

The school is known for its artistic excellence and proud Babatunde confessed,

“I was one of the students that won countless laurels and prizes for the school,” he revealed proudly.

Alongside his bosom classmate, Olumide Oladiran who is also exhibiting in Endless Possibilities, both Babatunde and Olumide dominated art competitions for Secondary Schools in their time while at Anw-ur – Islamic College from 1986 to 1989. My goodness!

Though Babatunde struggled to make some of his papers to gain admission into tertiary institutions, he was not deterred from his focus which has been his biggest tool till date. That passion refused to give in, as himself, refused to give in to failure. Then destiny introduced him to one of Nigeria’s finest painters.

His rare encounter with a master and philanthropic painter, the famed Abiodun Olaku of the famous and illustrious Universal Art Studio, in the early 90s, paved the way for Babatunde B.B. At that time, the now celebrated Universal Art Studios was still in its infancy.

“The studio was still fresh. It was not known as Universal Art Studio as it is popularly known today,” he said with a smile of appreciation.

Renowned Abiodun Olaku took him under his wings immediately after observing some magical moments of artistry from the young Babatunde. He observed there was something extraordinary in the young artist. After seeing samples of his work, the respected painter wasted no time.

He literally invited Babatunde into his car and drove straight to Yaba College of Technology, where renowned painter and academic Dr. Kolade Osinowo occupied a senior position.

What followed remains one of those remarkable moments where established masters deliberately create opportunities for emerging talent. According to Babatunde, Osinowo looked at Olaku and asked,

“Why are you bothering yourself about this boy?”

Olaku’s response was immediate.
He insisted that Babatunde possessed exceptional promise and deserved formal artistic education.

“This boy must school here.”

It was more than a recommendation.
It was two giants of Nigerian modern art deciding that a younger artist deserved a future. Two kings quietly redirecting the destiny of another royal blood.

After reviewing Babatunde’s academic results, Dr. Kolade Osinowo advised him to enrol for a part-time programme while preparing to rewrite his matriculation examinations.

The advice proved invaluable.
Babatunde followed it faithfully and eventually graduated from the prestigious Yaba College of Technology. Looking back today, he credits the institution with opening doors he never imagined.

“In fact, the school gave me endless possibilities that I couldn’t have imagined would come my way if I hadn’t passed through it.”

“I have never submitted ‘I beg to apply’ in my life,” he said with quiet confidence. “After graduation, it has been full-time studio practice for me. The Yabatech environment fired me up.”

That consistency is evident throughout his career.

Rather than chasing trends, Babatunde has patiently built a body of work rooted in culture, history and identity. His paintings reveal an artist completely in command of his creative instincts.
His professional journey has included several collaborative exhibitions and a major solo exhibition titled My Treasure, held at Nike Art Gallery, Lekki, Lagos.

Inside Quintessence Gallery, one inscription beside his works immediately catches attention:

“When We Dance, What Do We Really Hear?”

It is a question that beautifully summarises his artistic philosophy.

His ability not to lose his cultural milieu is paving the way for clarity of purpose in Babatunde’s body of work and which has served as one of his greatest strengths. One could feel the rich, cultural themes even in the titles which is very profoundly appreciated.

Among the four works displayed, ÌBÀ N’LÁ-ALÁSE, an oil on canvas measuring 62 × 42 inches, stands as the largest.
Completed in 2025, the painting was inspired during the period surrounding the passing of the Awujale of Ijebuland.

“The king is an authority on his own,” Babatunde explained, “but he has a Supreme Being who is mightier, the Almighty who controls him and his actions.”

Every detail reinforces royal dignity. The carefully beaded crown frames the king’s contemplative face. Coral beads adorn his wrists and neck. Rich crimson robes contrast dramatically against warm sunlight falling beneath him. It is both a portrait of earthly authority and a meditation on humility before divine power.

Beside it hangs OGOLO Masquerade, a pastel work completed in 2024.
According to Babatunde, the Ogolo masquerade is celebrated in Abia State, in south-eastern Nigeria.

Against a dramatic black background, brilliant reds, yellows and blues illuminate the masquerade’s spiritual presence. One hand raises a glowing object that symbolically drives away darkness, while the other stretches outward in commanding dance. Feathers rise above the mask like flames.

“This isn’t just costume,” Babatunde explained. “It’s mystery, tradition and ancestral presence. Ogolo comes to cleanse, judge and protect the community.”

The painting feels almost cinematic.

Another striking work is Omo Oba (The Prince), executed in charcoal on brown paper in 2025. Here, Babatunde celebrates Yoruba royalty without relying on obvious symbols of power.

The prince moves confidently across the composition, his flowing Agbada suggesting motion rather than ceremony. His cap sits proudly upon his head, while a subtle smile communicates quiet confidence.

“No crown. No throne,” the artist reflected. “But royalty is in his posture.”

The dark charcoal lines against warm brown paper beautifully capture the dialogue between heritage and contemporary identity.

The fourth exhibited work, AMÚ-ÌLÚDÙN, is an oil on canvas completed in 2026.

Its title translates to the drummer who brings joy to the community.

At the centre stands a master drummer captured in energetic performance. Dressed in a luminous mustard-yellow Agbada, his figure bursts through surrounding shadows with remarkable vitality. His expression reflects both concentration and celebration, reminding viewers that African drummers are not merely musicians they are custodians of oral history, memory and communal identity.

Babatunde’s fascination with cultural performance extends naturally to one of Lagos’ most celebrated traditions the Èyò Festival.

Like many artists before him, he has found inspiration in the famous white-robed masquerade procession. Yet rather than repeating familiar imagery, Babatunde sought his own interpretation.

His work, ÈYÒ – The Return, imagines the quiet journey after the celebration has ended.

“The city slept in shades of blue,” he narrated.

“6:17 p.m. had long faded into night. The bridge was empty except for the wind.”

The solitary masquerade walks home carrying the Òpánbàtà, the iconic staff, while his red hat glows against the cool darkness. His face remains hidden, even after the day’s festivities.

“But the day goes by,” Babatunde reflected, “and he too must return home.”

It is a remarkably poetic conclusion to one of Lagos’ most recognisable cultural symbols.

Listening nearby, Adebimpe Adebambo offered perhaps the most fitting interpretation of Babatunde’s exhibited works.

She observed that each of his paintings carries its own invisible soundtrack.
“You may not hear the music,” she smiled, “but you can certainly feel it.”
Looking at ÌBÀ N’LÁ-ALÁSE, she suggested the king’s thoughtful posture reveals a man searching for something beyond earthly power. In OGOLO Masquerade, she saw a performer frozen at the very height of movement, as though the dance had simply paused for viewers to catch their breath.
It is an observation difficult to disagree with. Perhaps that is Babatunde B.B’s greatest achievement.

His paintings refuse to remain silent. They sing, they dance and they remember, carrying echoes of culture, history and ancestral memory across every canvas. Each work possesses a living rhythm that invites viewers not merely to look, but to feel the stories, traditions and spirit wo into every layer of paint.

Most importantly, they remind us that culture continues to breathe through artists willing to preserve it with honesty, confidence and imagination.

For an artist fortunate enough to have encountered two giants of Nigerian modernism Mr. Abiodun Olaku and Dr. Kolade Osinowo, his own journey continues to affirm that greatness is rarely accidental. It is nurtured by mentorship, sustained by discipline and fulfilled through consistency. Big, bold, just like his initials.

The exhibition, Endless Possibilities, continues at Quintessence Gallery, Akin Olugbade Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, until 1 August 2026.

iBAND Magazine, Celebrating Visual Arts from the Original.

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