More than three thousand votes were cast by members of the public at this year’s Museum Rijswijk Textile Biennale for their favourite artist in the exhibition. The winner has just been declared as Badru Temitayo. Consquently, Temitayo will have a solo exhibition at the Museum from 1st December 2024 to 2nd March 2025 that will bring together his most important works.
Badru Temitayo Taofeek (1983) is a locally and globally celebrated artist and has already received several awards. He is a Nigerian artist from Abeokuta, Ogun State, an area with a rich textile history. For Temitayo, whose oeuvre includes tapestries, paintings and sculptures, indigenous spirituality plays a major role. He also continually draws inspiration from African myths, history, proverbs and folklore. For example, his work features patterns from the typical Adire Eleko fabric, where patterns are made in indigo blue fabric using a block printing technique. He intensively combines these motifs with symbolic images to convey his commentary and ideals.
A few reactions from visitors who voted for Badru Temitayo for the Audience Award Textile Biennale 2023.
“The hand-embroidered works are both harmonious and powerful due to the combination of traditional technique and symbolism.”
“The fragility of the work compared to the gravity and intensity of the subject touched me. Beautiful and penetrating. The fact that it is embroidered by hand gives an extra dimension.”
