ELIJAH  OLANASE

Contemporary Visual Artist 

     Elijah Olanase (b. 1999, Nigeria) is a contemporary visual artist whose portraits and figurative works unfold as quiet meditations on history, culture, time, and emotional purity. Working primarily in oil and acrylic on canvas, Elijah paints not only the visible form, but the invisible pulse - the emotions, memories, and inner lives that reside beneath the surface.

    Each brushstroke reveals the invisible pulse of his subjects: their memories, identities, and emotional truths. His approach fuses realism with expressive subtlety, often evoking a sense of introspection and timelessness. Through muted tones, layered textures, and focused composition, Elijah builds portraits that invite stillness, reflection, and empathy.

    Rooted in Nigerian heritage, his work engages with larger conversations around Black identity, time, and psychological landscapes, positioning his figures as vessels of lived experience and spiritual resonance.

    Elijah's artistic voice continues to gain recognition within the contemporary African art scene, celebrated for his ability to translate silence into sensation, and stillness into narrative power.

     His technique layers thin and thick applications of color, allowing texture, movement and expression to emerge intuitively through his subjects. Each work becomes a vessel of experience - speaking softly of faith, human connection, and the enduring search for love and joy.

     Through his art, Elijah seeks not just to represent, but to heal and uplift, touching lives with gestures of sincerity and emotional depth - a contemporary voice shaped by Africa, yet resonant with a universal soul."

EXHIBITIONS

• 2025 Group Exhibition, Àìmàsìkò "Ignorance of divine timing", presented by Constance and sons art gallery at National Museum Ibadan

• 2023 Group Virtual Exhibition, The Show Will Go On, presented by Harmed Gallery in London

• 2023 A Multimedia Exhibition, Art for Sustainable Leadership, presented by Tunde Odunlade Arts Gallery in Ibadan

• 2023 Two Person Exhibition, Outstanding and Promising Africa Artist, Online Exclusive Show on Artsy, presented Ohaa crown Art Gallery

• 2022 Winner of Artist Award of Excellence in India

• 2019 Group Exhibition, Within Exhibition in Lagos

• 2017 Group Exhibition, Life in my City Exhibition in Enugu.

RESIDENCIES

• Artist-in-Residence - "Silence Eyes", Lagos, Nigeria (2025)

Focused on experimental materials, resulting in a portfolio expansion with 6(six) new paintings.

EDUCATION