Modupeola Fadugba is a Togo-born Nigerian multi-media artist whose practice includes painting, drawing and installations. The self-taught artist holds her M.Ed. (Harvard Graduate School of Education), as well as her MA, Economics, and BA, Chemical Engineering (University of Delaware). Modupeola has lived and worked in several countries and draws upon this diverse experience in nearly a decade of socio-economically engaged work.
The artist has received international attention and recognition for her pioneering interactive installation, The People’s Algorithm, produced for the National Art Competition, Nigeria, 2014. Awarded the Outstanding Production Prize, this participatory work responds to the pan African problems of unemployment, educational resources, and training. At the 2016 Dakar Biennale for Contemporary African art, The People’s Algorithm 2.0 was awarded one of four grand prize from the Senegalese Minister of Communication.
Modupeola’s work generally emerges as series, an organic and intellectual process through which her ideas continually transform. All of the artist’s work has a high level of intellectual engagement, and yet, retains a vibrancy of color and a graphic quality. Women feature prominently in the work and the images are often self-portraits. Both the works on paper and painting series emphasize texture and surface, including beading and patterning that reflects traditions of artisan textile design. Works such as Chief and his Wives are critical narratives about identity and culture, while 8 Days of Lazy ruminates on a process of artistic regeneration. In 2008, recognized for her ability to transect disciplines, Modupeola was commissioned by the University of Delaware to create Beyond the Blackboard, a permanent artwork portraying the impact of education and science on global development.
At the nexus of science, politics and fine art, Modupeola is a true polymath. Her diverse body of work creates an active dialogue about issues of social justice, identity, education and the use of art as a vehicle for activism. Today, Modupeola lives and works in Abuja, Nigeria.
Modupeola’s Works
