Such was and still is the story of one of the most talented and extraordinary suburbs in Africa. Ajegunle popularly refered as AJ City is a commune to behold. While government and leaders have abandoned the development of the place into the hands of the populace, majority of the inhabitants have made Ajegunle a city that has attracted positive stories.
Haitian American singer Wyclef Jean’s demand for a visit to Ajegunle, a suburb in Lagos, as soon as he disembarked from the plane at the airport, didn’t go down well with organisers of a music festival in Lagos and police authorities when he visited as the main act of the event in 2006. The request was turned down, as the organisers couldn’t guarantee his safety.
Such was and still is the story of one of the most talented and extraordinary suburbs in Africa. Ajegunle popularly refered as AJ City is a commune to behold. While government and leaders have abandoned the development of the place into the hands of the populace, majority of the inhabitants have made Ajegunle a city that has attracted positive stories.
Many stories have evolved through sports, especially, football and sprints. Music is a religion in Ajegunle and many talented musicians, just like sports have become global stars. The roll call is street credibility for Ajegunle city.
Arts and Culture have also experienced and enjoyed the AJ spirit of hood success. And one of those many tribesmen of AJ City is Samson Akinnire.
Samson Olusola Akinnire was born in Ajegunle, Lagos, on the 1st of June 1986. He is a visual artist that has experimental success in Paintings, Sculpting and proficient in Installation.
Growing Up Years
A life in the hood, is typical of the African child. His educational was eventful. But from 1992 to 2003, Samson had his primary and secondary education in Lagos. Subsequently, held a higher national diploma in Sculpture from the prestigious Lagos State Polytechnics and came out as the best student in 2011.
Career Path
Samson’s practice in visual art business over the years has evolved dramatically because of his restless nature. This is vivid and it is expressed in the ever-shifting perspective of his techniques. He loves experimenting. A journey revels in Ajegunle nomenclature.
Influence
Wyclef Jean before leaving Nigeria revealed to the global media at press conferences organised for the music festival, the impact Ajegunle plays in American dream. He rued the reasons why he couldn’t visit the city of abundant talents with spiritual influence to America.
Samson Akinnire may not have experienced Wyclef’s concert but would have read about his conviction of Ajegunle. While Samson’s plethora of works were mostly influenced by the experiments he had done restlessly, ranging from junk and discarded materials. His creative ideas came from harvesting “wastes” of many kinds all assembled with screws and nail perforations to be called art. His mixed media portraits incorporates articles of waste that invite a clarifying and humanizing engagements with what is discerned as beautiful disposable elements.
His art presents bold complexity and striking completeness that evoke an inherent potency and elaborates collages mostly of (beer cans). Samson’s works has been published and exhibited nationally and internationally.
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Words Segun Akano/Ireho Aito/edited/Ireho Aito /images /Samson Olusola Akinnire in African Creatives
iBAND Magazine 