Meet the Artisans
Behind every piece in Artisan's Village Collection is a skilled maker — a craftsperson whose hands, heritage, and story are woven into every thread, bead, and brushstroke.
Olujide Francis Adesina
Craft: Wood Carving & Sculpture
Region: Osogbo, Nigeria
Olujide Francis Adesina is a wood-carving artist whose practice is rooted in the rich sculptural heritage of Osogbo. He refined his craft at Genesis Art Gallery, where he studied the formal and conceptual foundations of wood sculpture and design.
Working primarily in indigenous hardwoods, Olujide creates distinctive, intricately carved works characterized by their originality, technical finish, and attention to detail. His sculptures extend a Yoruba tradition of transforming wood into narrative form, while asserting a contemporary voice focused on precision and material integrity.
In 2015, Olujide was recognized as Best Artist, an award that affirmed his dedication to excellence and cultural continuity. His career reflects a dual commitment: preserving the knowledge systems of wood carving and pushing the medium toward new expressive possibilities.
Through his work, Olujide contributes to the growth of artistic craftsmanship in Nigeria. His sculptures have earned admiration for their quality and vision, positioning him as a vital practitioner in his community and an emerging voice in the wider field of African contemporary art.
Agboola Johnson Abayomi
Craft: Painting, Batik & Mixed Media
Region: Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria
Agboola Johnson Abayomi is a painter whose work integrates the language of contemporary canvas painting with the material histories of batik and adire textiles. His artistic formation began in Osogbo, where early studies at Adenle L.A. Primary School and CAC Commercial Grammar School sparked an interest in abstract drawing and adire.
He later trained at the Nike Centre for Art & Culture, Osogbo, a critical institution for Yoruba art practices. There he worked closely with artist Agboola Kazeem, expanding from batik on paper into canvas painting under the mentorship of Kola Awokunle Oludayo in Ile-Ife.
Agboola's multidisciplinary practice spans oil on canvas, batik on rice paper, mixed media, and appliqué. He is known for technical interventions in adire and batik that distinguish his work from traditional approaches.
His commissions include projects for the Osun State Council for Art and Culture and Osun State University. Exhibition highlights include solo workshops and presentations at the British High Commission Abuja, American School Abuja, Julius Berger Camp Abuja, American Women Club, World Orisa Congress Ile-Ife, and I.I.T.A. Ibadan. He has participated in numerous group exhibitions and supplies galleries in Nigeria and internationally. His work is held in private collections worldwide.
Seyi Art Textiles
Craft: Batik & Traditional African Textiles
Region: Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria
Est. 1996
Founded in 1996 by Seyi, a native of Osogbo, Seyi Art Textiles is a studio dedicated to authentic Batik and traditional African textile artistry. Rooted in the cultural legacy of Osogbo — a historic center for Nigerian art — the studio has spent nearly three decades refining a practice defined by craftsmanship, creativity, and cultural continuity.
Seyi's textiles are distinguished by their intricate handwork, contemporary elegance, and narrative depth. Each piece translates Yoruba identity and storytelling into cloth, blending time-honored techniques with original design interventions. The result is a body of work that honors tradition while addressing modern collectors.
Committed to quality and innovation, Seyi Art Textiles produces handcrafted fabrics sought by private collectors and institutions across Nigeria and abroad. The studio's output reflects a dual mandate: to celebrate African cultural heritage and to ensure the art of Batik remains a living, evolving practice.
Every work embodies a respect for tradition, a passion for excellence, and a vision for sustaining textile artistry into the next generation.
Ruth Zagiri
Craft: Bead Making & Jewelry Design
Region: Bayelsa State, Nigeria
Ruth Zagiri is a bead artist and jewelry designer whose practice extends across jewelry, accessories, and adornment. She began bead making in 2014, acquiring the craft during NYSC orientation camp. Inspired by her elder sister, a fashion designer who integrated beads into clothing, Ruth committed to the medium as a professional discipline.
Her work includes beaded bags, neckpieces, waist beads, leg beads, and corsets. Ruth explores a wide material vocabulary — glass and crystal beads, gemstone, metal, pearls, and organic materials — to create pieces defined by technical precision, structural innovation, and contemporary design.
Through a decade of dedicated practice, she has established a reputation for original, high-quality beadwork that balances cultural heritage with modern aesthetics. For Ruth, bead making is a sustained creative pursuit rooted in learning, experimentation, and craftsmanship. Her works are sought by private collectors in Nigeria and the diaspora.
Ibukunoluwa Ayoola
Craft: Ceramic & Clay Pottery
Region: Nigeria
CEO, Atamora Ceramic Water Filter Factory and Atamora Pottery
Ibukunoluwa Ayoola is a highly experienced master potter, researcher, and industrialist with decades of experience in ceramic production, water filter manufacturing, and material processing. Trained at the Ceramic Water Filter Factory Training Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, he brings both international expertise and deep local knowledge to his craft.
His expertise spans a wide range of ceramic disciplines:
- Production of tableware, garden pottery, large pots, giant vases, mural tiles, and general ceramic materials
- Refractory bricks and ceramic kiln construction
- Wood kilns and firing techniques using various fuel types
- Point-of-use ceramic water filters
Through Atamora Pottery, Ibukunoluwa continues to push the boundaries of Nigerian ceramic artistry, combining functional innovation with cultural craftsmanship.
More artisan stories coming soon.