About  Folake Idowu (Nigeria / Switzerland)

Folake Idowu, known as Folake, is a multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in Switzerland. As a self-taught contemporary artist of Nigerian origin, her Yoruba heritage as well as her experiences of living and working in Europe have influenced her distinct style. Her practice focuses mainly on portraiture with a particular interest in cultural identity and gender. Shining a light on the under-represented and the misrepresented form are integral aspects of her research and artwork as she believes black women and children often unjustly bear the brunt of either or both labels in modern media.

Her style is often described as colourful and vibrant. She creates images using linography, embroidery, serigraphy, mixed-media and collage to explore how ideas and perceptions define or distort our common humanity.

Folake’s current body of work for this exhibition is part of her embroidery series (I am) which delves into the self-image and perception of black women. The “Natural Hair” movement has been an important influence as it challenged black women to reappropriate their identity, in part through their hair, but also in the way they see and speak about their beauty. It is important that the narrative on the representation of black women, especially African women, should reflect a new way of thinking – as presented by these women themselves, rather than through a distorted prism or social stereotyping.

Solo exhibitions

Group exhibitions