Living Canvases, Living Stories
Jethro King Oluwatosin is a Lagos-based multidisciplinary artist and body painter who merges visual art with performance. He works with diverse canvases from human bodies and car surfaces to walls and traditional canvases all to explore and express African culture through symbols, patterns, abstraction, and vivid forms. His works often act as “living canvases,” turning skin or space into a place for cultural narratives and identity to speak.
How did You First get into Multidisciplinary Art and Body Painting?
My journey into multidisciplinary art began with curiosity I’ve always been fascinated by how art can exist beyond the frame. When I discovered body painting, it felt like a natural evolution. It gave me a moving canvas, a way to transform people into living pieces of art and freeze those moments on canvas forever.
What Inspired You to Start using not just Canvas but Human Bodies, Cars, Walls etc. as Your Surfaces?
I started using bodies, cars, walls, and other surfaces because I wanted art to break free from limitations. Canvas is beautiful, but it can feel confined my art is about life, movement, and connection. The human body lets me turn living energy into art. Cars become moving galleries. Walls become stories for whole communities. For me, everything is a potential canvas because creativity should not be boxed in. Feels like freedom to me.
How do Symbols and Patterns Play a Role in Your Work , where do You Draw them from Culturally or Personally?
Symbols and patterns are the language of my art. I’m deeply inspired by African symbols their power, their stories, and the way they carry wisdom across generations. Along the way, I also create my own symbols, blending tradition with my personal experiences, so every piece feels like a conversation between my culture and my own journey. And I’m still evolving and learning i want to create works that will be used as reference for the past, present and future even when I leave this world.
Can you Walk us Through Your Process when You work on a “Living Canvas” , how do You Plan vs. how much is Improvised?
When I work on a “living canvas,” I like to say that I start with a feeling rather than a plan. I usually have a rough idea of the story I want to tell the mood, the colors, the message but I allow the body in front of me to guide the flow. The curves, the energy of the person, even their personality shapes the design. That way it give birth to something beautiful for me and I love how it feels not knowing the outcome and when I’m done I call it bless.
What Stories do You Hope to tell through Transforming the Human Form?
I hope to tell stories about transformation, identity, and connection stories that remind us of who we are beyond the surface. When I transform the human form, I want to show that we are living canvases carrying history, culture, and spirit. Each mantra of my lines and patterns becomes a way to tell stories about freedom, healing, and the beauty of being human. It’s about turning the body into a storyteller revealing emotions, celebrating heritage, and sometimes even challenging how we see ourselves and others. And to see our culture in a classy and beautiful way.
How do you Negotiate Permanence vs Impermanence, given that Body Paint or Cars etc. are more Ephemeral or Subject to Change?
Hmm, lovely question. I see the impermanence as part of the work’s power it reminds me and my audience that nothing truly lasts, and that beauty can exist in a fleeting moment. Painting on bodies or cars is like creating living, breathing art that eventually transforms or fades, but that’s what makes it special.
At the same time, I preserve these moments by translating them into canvas pieces, photographs, or videos. That way, the essence of the work the feeling, the story, the energy becomes permanent, even if the surface I first painted on is not.
So for me, permanence and impermanence work together. The temporary nature gives the work life, and the preserved form gives it legacy.
And I love the fact that I create my own world from start to finish makes me feel like God and my soul grow anytime I create.
What does “African Culture through Abstraction” mean to You, and how do You Balance Tradition with Innovation?
African culture through abstraction” can mean taking the spirit, rhythm, and symbolism of African culture its patterns, stories, rituals, colors, textures and reinterpreting them in a way that doesn’t just copy traditional forms but distills their essence into something new. Balancing tradition with innovation is about respect and freedom. You honor where you come from by understanding it deeply the meaning behind the patterns, the spiritual weight of certain colors or symbols and then you innovate by allowing yourself to break, remix, or reimagine them for today and tomorrow. This keeps the culture alive and evolving, rather than frozen in time.
Which Mediums or Surfaces do You Enjoy Working with Most, and are there Ones You want to Explore but haven’t Yet?
I enjoy working with human bodies the most it feels alive, intimate, and powerful, I used acrylic paint, markers and spray paints mostly . I’ll love to explore oil paints and paint on big tall buildings and on one of my dream projects is to work with car brands such as BMW, Audi and formula one cars and clothing brands such as Nike adidas and Jordan and lots more… ‘people wey i want to work with plenty oo’.
How have People Responded to Your work, Emotionally, Socially, Especially when You Use People’s Bodies or Public Spaces?
People’s reactions have been some of the most beautiful parts of the process. I have a model who volunteers to be my living canvas always, she tells me that my work makes her feel seen, celebrated, or even transformed, especially when I work with the human body. And for public spaces I feel good when even a stranger connects to my mural and the smile on their faces and the hype when they see me and the art makes my soul grow.
What Challenges do You Face (Material, Perception, Logistics) in Working with Unconventional Canvases?
It can be hard to find the right space or time. If I’m painting a body, I need models who are comfortable and available, plus enough privacy to work. Cars and walls need permissions, preparation, and sometimes even help from other people to set everything up. Some people still see body painting or painting on objects as “not real art,” or they might not fully understand why I choose these canvases. Well they all have different views when it comes to my body paintings I’ve had to learn to stand by my choices and educate people that this is a valid form of expression it’s about turning everyday surfaces into living, breathing works of art.
Who are Your Artistic Influences, in Africa or Globally , in Pattern, Body Art, or Symbolic Abstraction?
Laolu senbanjo in new York and yonga arts Oscar Korbla Mawuli Awuku in Ghana these are the top two I love their works so much and admire their consistency.
How do You Want Your art to Evolve in the Next Few Years , in Themes, Scale, Mediums, or Collaborations?
I want my art to grow bolder in both scale and meaning. I see myself exploring larger, more immersive pieces murals that transform entire spaces, installations that invite people to step inside the work, and body paintings that become living performances.
I want to dig even deeper into African spirituality, symbolism, and futurism reimagining tradition in a way that speaks to where we are headed, not just where we’ve been. I also want to expand my mediums, experimenting with digital art, projection, and even sound, blending them with my paintings and dancing to create beautiful experiences.
And collaboration is key for me. I want to work with dancers, musicians, photographers, videographers, fashion designers, and other visual artists creating art that feels like a dialogue rather than a monologue. My goal is for my work to not just be seen but to be felt and to spark conversations about identity, healing, culture, and transformation.