John Madu (b. 1983) is a Nigerian multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in Lagos. He studied policy and strategic studies before turning fully to art, and describes his work as “a record of the history of my time”. His figurative, symbolic paintings in acrylic and oil explore identity, social behaviour and the effects of cultural globalisation, with recurring books and apples serving as visual metaphors.
John Madu (b. 1983, Lagos, Nigeria) is a Nigerian multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in Lagos. He grew up on Allen Avenue in Lagos in the 1980s, surrounded by arcades, street artists and cultural venues, and the comic books his father brought back from his travels were an early influence. Before turning fully to art he studied policy and strategic studies, a background he says shapes his research-driven process. Madu is known for figurative, symbolic paintings that explore the complexity of identity, social behaviour and the effects of cultural globalisation on individualism. He draws on popular culture, African history, art history and personal experience, and uses recurring objects such as books and apples as visual metaphors. He works mainly in acrylic and oil, sometimes incorporating collage, impasto and mixed media. In his “Invader” series (2020) he revisits colonial narratives from the perspective of a selfie-taking narrator, and he describes his work as “a record of the history of my time”. The painting “Can’t Wait” (2018), from the “Before 4pm” series, acrylic on canvas, offered by TUMO Gallery, reflects his interest in contemporary urban life and everyday social behaviour.
