Nigerian-Born, Olaolu Slawn Designs New Brit Award Statuette

Every year, The Brit Awards are commemorated. The accolades honour the top musicians and musical ensembles in both British and global music. The trophy for the 43rd annual Brit Awards, which are being presented by the British Phonographic Industry, was created by Nigerian artist Olaolu Slawn.

Olaolu Slawn, 20, was born and raised in Lagos and is of Yoruba descent. He is the youngest and first artist from Nigeria to design a BRIT award. He is a popular skateboarder, painter, and artist who is well-known for his distinctive graffiti creations.

Before relocating to London in 2018, Slawn worked as a shop assistant and designer of skate apparel at Wafflesncream, Nigeria’s first skate shop. He began painting during the first lockdown and enrolled at Middlesex University in 2019 to pursue a degree in graphic design.

He made a splash with his first show in 2021 at Brick Lane’s Truman Brewery. Together with other skaters and friends Leo and Onyedi, he founded the clothing line Motherlan.

Cartoon figures and psychedelic forms are vividly combined in Slawn’s work, which is painted with marker pens and spray cans on big canvases.

Skepta, Angelo Baque, Tremaine Emory, Iris Law, Asap Rocky, and the late Virgil Abloh are among the Slawn Art collectors. Moses, 2022, James, 2022, Self Portrait, 2022, and Cat and Frog (Diptchy), Blueboy, 2021 are some of his works of art.