About
I paint myth into existence.
Anthony Azekwoh is a contemporary artist, author and enterpreneur based in Lagos, Nigeria. His work primarily focuses on African folklore and mythology, using these themes and figures to tell stories of his country, transformation, and change. Anthony is familiar with change; teaching himself how to draw as a child after solely being a writer; dropping out of school to pursue his art career; and working between digital and traditional, painting and sculpting. Change has been a common theme in his work that he has explored with diverse subjects and mediums.
His recent endeavors include a second solo exhibition, There is a Country, which has toured Lagos, London, New York, and Abuja, gaining critical acclaim worldwide. This exhibition further cements Azekwoh's place in the global art scene, showcasing his unique ability to blend traditional techniques with digital mediums, thereby blurring the boundaries between the two. His art is not just a visual feast but a narrative tool, condensing the African experience into universal stories that resonate globally. His work explores fantastical realms, and drawing from a childhood immersed in folklore he has continued the long enshrined tradition of African storytelling through his work across a variety of mediums. His work in writing and painting alike aim to condense shared facets of the African experience into his work in a way that can connect people the world over and tell stories that he believes have been largely excluded from the global conversation.
Anthony’s work replicates traditional techniques through digital mediums, and blurs the boundary between both by producing physical, corporeal manifestations of his work. Technology is an instrumental part of his practice, as he believes it has been a catalyst for Africans especially to find their creative voices and pursue careers in the arts that can be looked upon with stigma.
Anthony is currently exploring a new medium-sculpting, which has allowed him to explore the concept of immortalisation and platforming. By focusing this aspect of his practice on representing various historical figures and facets of Nigerian culture, Anthony manages to celebrate revered elements of the Nigerian identity and showcase his home to the world, as he sees it through his eyes.
His art has been seen by millions around the world. He was the recipient of the Awele Trust Prize in 2017 and the Loose Convo grant in 2018. An author of 5 books and hundreds of stories and essays, he has prolific as he is skilled. His international clientele spans worldwide across companies and celebrities like Facebook (Meta), Rocket League, as well as artistes like, Masego, Jae5, Show Dem Camp, Adekunle Gold, Simi and Blaqbonez.
His artwork has been shown in Lagos, Abuja, London, New York, Tokyo, Denver and lives in countless homes, offices and restaurants across the world. He has been covered in publications like Yahoo Finance, Culture Custodian, Techpoint Africa and Olongo Africa, etc.
With the proceeds from his work, he has set up the Rosemary Fund, a grant for emerging artists in Nigeria. His painting, No Victor No Vanquished, is the first digital painting to be in the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art, Nigeria.
Anthony Azekwoh Studios, his company, is the heart of Anthony's work, using art, literature, and tech to bring true and natural storytelling to an African and international audience.
“For me, this is all about getting better, mastery. I need to be able to tell our stories the best way I can.”
-The ethos behind every work
— Origin
— Journey
— Exhibitions
— Press
— Awards
ORIGIN
I grew up surrounded by stories. My English teacher, the writer Kola Tubosun, showed me what words could do. By secondary school, I was writing constantly—fiction, essays, anything to capture what I saw in my head.
Then my laptop broke. No money to fix it. So I picked up leftover pens and A4 paper from my parents' house and started drawing. It wasn't a pivot—it was survival. But somewhere in those early sketches, I found a new dialect for the same language.
I taught myself Photoshop. Studied the neoclassical painters—Jacque-Louis David, Norman Rockwell—and fused their technique with the mythology I'd grown up hearing. African folklore, Yoruba cosmology, stories of gods and mortals. I wanted to paint the worlds I'd only ever read about.
Born in Lagos, 2000
JOURNEY
From A4 paper to the world
2016
First drawing
An American artist found me online. The commissions began.
First album Cover
2017
An American artist found me online. The commissions began.
Awele Trust Prize
2017
Won for my short story "The Fall of the Gods."
The Red Man goes viral
2020
220,000+ likes. Life changed overnight.
NFT breakthrough
2021
The Red Man sells for $25,000 on SuperRare. Over $80k in NFT sales within months.
First solo exhibition: Homecoming
2021
Since no gallery would host me, he built his own gallery for two days and did my first show in Lagos.
Rocket League collaboration
2021
Yasuke becomes an in-game decal, reaching 90M+ players.
First marble sculpture
2022
A new medium is added to Anthony’s repertoire
Meta partnership
2023
Featured creator for Flex Naija. AR experience with Tinúkẹ́ sculpture.
Sixth solo exhibition: The Wedding
2025
The biggest exhibition in Nigeria in 2025.
Exhibitions
Shown in 6 cities
Lagos, Nigeria
Multiple shows, 2019-present
New York, USA
NFT.NYC, Gallery shows
Tokyo, Japan
Group exhibitions
London, UK
Group exhibitions
Abuja, Nigeria
Group exhibitions
Denver, Colorado
Group exhibitions
Featured worldwide
PRESS
My work has been covered by publications across Africa, Europe, and North America.
RECOGNITION
Awele Trust Prize 2017
Loose Convo Grant ($1,000) 2017
SuperRare Featured Artist 2021
Rocket League Creator Spotlight 2022
Meta Flex Naija Featured Creator 2023
Zikoko Top 100 Nigerians 2025
Awards & Grants
1,200+
PAINTINGS
5
BOOKS
$200k+
NFT SALES
90M+
PLAYERS REACHED
122.3k
FOLLOWERS
The Rosemary Fund
After my NFT success, I started the Rosemary Fund to support young Nigerian artists. Named after my mother, it's a way of paying forward the breaks I never had.
The fund provides direct financial support to emerging artists—no strings attached, no applications, just resources to keep creating.
₦1M+
DONATED
10+
ARTISTS SUPPORTED
“One moment, he's my teenage student; another moment, he's a full adult human making brilliant paintings and imaginative fiction.”
- Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún, linguist, writer, scholar
“This is stunning.”
- Neil Gaiman, NYT Bestselling Author: American Gods, Coraline, Sandman…
“I’ve never been this moved by words on a page in my life.”
-Masego, Jamaican-American musician and singer. Also one of the coolest people I know.
“Really gorgeous stuff!”
- Steven De Knight, celebrated screenwriter, television producer, and director: Spartacus, Daredevil…
“Wow.”
- Matthew A. Cherry, director, writer producer: Hair Love…
“This is awesome.”
- Dave Rapoza, renowned artist for games, movies, TV and comics
Let's create something unforgettable
For commissions, collaborations, or just to say hello.