Olayinka Kasali
About the Artist
Olayinka Kasali is a sculptor, painter, and educator whose work explores the human experience through themes of survival, resilience, culture, and emotion. His practice is rooted in sculpture, with works that often combine structural and organic materials to create powerful physical forms. He also works in painting, using both mediums to reflect on personal experience as well as the religious, social, and cultural influences that shape our lives.
Contemporary Sculptor & Painter
Originally trained in Fine Arts with a concentration in sculpture at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos, Nigeria, Olayinka later earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Education and worked as an art teacher. After coming to New York, he continued his education at Lehman College, earning a Master of Science in Special Education, bringing together his commitment to art, teaching, and inspiring others.
Olayinka has presented three solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions in Nigeria and the United States, including the New York Art Expo and the Contemporary Nigerian Arts Exhibition in Chicago. His work can be found in private and corporate collections around the world.
Artist Statement
My work is an exploration of survival, resilience, and the internal forces that shape the human experience. Through high-relief sculptures that blur the line between the natural world and personal psychology, I use animal imagery as a mirror for my own life journey. By compounding structural and organic mediums, I document the friction of overcoming adversity and the strength found in endurance.This duality is captured in my companion pieces, Sustenance and Iron Will, where the physical composition of each sculpture directly reflects its underlying emotional narrative.
