About Samson Bakare?

Samson Bakare (b.1993) is a Nigerian artist of multiple disciplines. Inspired by his architect father in the city of Lagos, at a young age Samson began his journey into a creative world. Bakare is a graduate of the school of Art, Yaba College of Technology. Samson was trained under the tutelage of prominent and veteran Nigerian artists which include the master artist Abiodun Olaku, along with Raji Babatunde, Edosa Oguigo, and Ejoh Wallace.

His work centers around the propagation of black identity and values in both contemporary and retrospective context while representing historical scenes. His narrative covers portraits of African men and women with blank expressions as they strive for cultural emancipation. Samson states that his “work is a time machine through which you can see the past and behold the future from the same stand point.” The East African Coptic art has been the influence in his exploration, even as the theme and subject remains a hybrid of classicism and stylization which he calls Afro-classicism.

Select Exhibitions

1. Counter History, Paris, 2019.
2. Counter History Lagos, 2019.
3. Occupied Space Exhibition, Accra, 2020.
4. Paradigms and Perceptions, Houston, 2021.
5. TAAG, New York, 2021.