Answering the Questions of Community, Heritage and Legacy

Ogunseitan Tope is a Nigerian visual artist whose work is heavily influenced by his Yoruba heritage. His art covers themes of belonging and identity.

Can you tell us about your journey into art—what first pulled you in?

My journey started when I was a child in a little community. I've always been drawn to art. Even as a kid, I’d sketch, illustrate stories for my friends on the back of my textbooks during lectures, and turn whatever I found into something visual to share stories. What really pulled me in was expressing myself through images, patterns, and colors and how they could carry whole histories, feelings, and conversations without needing words. I loved how Art could be both beautiful and useful, how it could speak to everyone.

That curiosity grew into my career training as a general artist at the School of Art, Design & Printing, Yaba College of Technology, and as a digital artist & 3D designer at Sporedust Animation Studios, eventually working across painting, textiles, digital art, and live wearable art performance. My journey has always been about making ideas visible.

How has your background, culture, or upbringing shaped the way you create?

I am Yoruba, born in Lagos, in southwestern Nigeria. My practices are deeply rooted in my culture and history. Growing up in an environment where culture is kind, I tap into the stories, histories, live experiences, vibrant textiles, patterns, festivals, and the way the community gathers and shares knowledge.

This taught me that art isn’t something separate from life; it is life. Those colors, patterns, symbols, and masks in my works are a connection and ancestry that run through me. Moving Abroad in 2023 has added another layer to my identity; now I blend those historical roots with what I see and experience here, making my art speak to both places at once. My upbringing also taught me that art should lift people up; that’s why community work and accessibility are always at the heart of what I do.

Do you see yourself as an “African artist,” or simply an artist who happens to be African?

I see myself as both and neither. Being African isn’t just a label I carry; it’s my perspective, my lens, my foundation. It shapes how I see the world, what stories I care about, and how I tell them. But my work isn’t only about being African; it’s about being human, about identity, belonging, resilience, self-love, and connection.

So I’m an artist whose African heritage is central to my voice, but my work reaches beyond that to speak to anyone who’s ever questioned where they belong or who they are. It’s not an either/or; Photoshop,colors, it’s all of me

What does your creative process look like from idea to finished piece?

It almost always starts with a conversation, a memory, or something I’ve seen that sticks with me. I’ll sketch rough ideas on paper, sometimes digitally in Procreate or Photoshop and let the concept breathe before committing. I research cultural symbols, history, and personal stories to make sure the work feels true.

Then I experiment mixing digital work with hand-painting on fabric, testing colours, patterns, and textures. For sustainable wearable art or live performance pieces, I’ll also think about movement and how I work and live in public spaces. I often share early versions with people from the community the work is about, their feedback shapes the final piece. It’s never a straight line, I tweak, rework, step back and keep going until it feels right.

Are there particular materials, symbols, or recurring elements you’re drawn to?

My work is all about culture, symbols, and colors that carry deep meaning. The red rose flower heads show up a lot; they're like my signature, blooming through everything. I’m also drawn to animal heads on human figures, mixing the real with the mythical, showing all creatures have a role to play in the tapestry of life.

Patterns are huge for me, especially traditional Yoruba adire; those geometric shapes and repeating motifs tell stories that go beyond the surface. Colors like green, rich yellows and golds, and deep dark terracotta skin tones—they all feel alive, grounded in African culture and history. I move between digital tools and hand-painted textiles because that mix of old and new feels like me.

Painting on fabric to me, because it travels, it’s worn, it’s lived in, just like the stories I’m telling. Movement, connection, and interwoven lines are bigger themes, showing how our roots come with us and how cultures blend and evolve. This is the heartbeat of my art

What part of the process feels most natural to you — and what part is the most difficult?

I see it clearly, deciding when it’s truly finished. Also, balancing the vision in my head with the limited materials The idea stage and the actual making of painting, designing, experimenting, that’s where I feel most at home. It flows, it feels like breathing. The hardest part? Waiting and stepping back to , Creating time can be a challenging with family and work. And sometimes, when a piece touches on personal or difficult themes, finding the right way to say what I mean without speaking for others people that takes care, patience, and listening.

What themes or questions are you looking to answer with your art?

Mostly; Where do we belong? And can we belong to more than one place at once? I explore how we carry our ancestry, our history, and our identity with us, especially when we move Abroad. I look at resilience, self-representation, and the stories we pass down. I want to know how we honour where we come from while embracing where we are? How do we make space for all parts of ourselves? And how can art help us see each other more clearly?

Are there new mediums or directions you want to explore?

Absolutely! I’m really excited to dive deeper into immersive art within digital spaces thinking about how art can be preserved as a living archive for future generations to connect with culture and heritage. It’s about making art travel, be more inclusive, and accessible to everyone. I want to expand my public and interactive Art too, so people can be part of the evolution, adding their own stories and energy.

I’m also dreaming big about creating large-scale installations that blend digital projection with my hand-painted textiles something that surrounds and moves with people, not just something that hangs on a wall.

Where do you see your work in the next five to ten years?

I want my work to be shown and experienced across the world , but always rooted in community. I see myself expanding the Project series Digital Heritage into a global conversation about culture & Heritage preservation. I also hope to have built a permanent creative space here in the UK, modelled after Drippcity Creative Space that supports emerging Creatives, especially from migrant and minority backgrounds. My work will always sit between the gallery and the street, recognised in institutions but still alive in public spaces, accessible to everyone.

How do you handle creative blocks or self-doubt?

I step away. I stop forcing it and go do something else, walk in a park, talk to people, work on a community workshop, or just rest. Reminding myself why I started is to connect, not to be perfect, always helps. I also remember that doubt is normal, it means I care enough to want it to be good. And I look back at where I’ve come from, my past projects, the people I’ve worked with, the moments that mattered and that grounds me, The people who lookup to me. Sometimes the best way through a block is to stop trying to “make art” and just go live a little more.

If your art could start one conversation in the world, what would it be?

Identity isn’t a box, it’s a bridge. We all carry multiple cultures, homes, and stories; they don’t have to compete, they can enrich each other. Belonging doesn’t mean choosing one over another. I want us to talk about celebrating every part of ourselves, and making space for others to do the same.

A place that inspires you?

Parks, any park. There’s something about being outside, where everyone is welcome, where nature and people meet, that’s where my best ideas come from. It’s why I started Art in the Park.

A message to emerging African artists?

Your story is your greatest superpower, don’t water it down to fit what you think others want to see. The world doesn’t need another version of someone else, it needs you. Be patient, be kind to yourself, and lift others up as you climb because that’s how we all grow. And remember! your art doesn’t have to be for galleries only, it can be for the street, for your community, for the people who need it most. That’s where it truly lives.

One word that describes your art?

Unity.