From Pencil to Pastel, Acrylic to Sculpture: The Many Sides of BB Arts
From painting to sculpture, textile and graphics, Bashiru Bolaji Babatunde has built a creative identity around versatility, perseverance and his enduring fascination with the beauty of life.
At the BB Arts gallery in the Asese area of Ogun State, off the ever busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, paintings and other works of art provide the backdrop to a gathering of artists, art lovers and visitors who have cometo experience the creative world of one of Nigeria’s versatile contemporary artists.
The atmosphere is lively as visitors move around the gallery, taking in the works on display, while fellow artists turn up to identify with and support their colleague.
At the centre of it all is Bashiru Bolaji Babatunde, popularly known in the art world as BB Arts — a visual artist whose creative journey has been defined by versatility and an unwillingness to be restricted to a single medium.
“I am a visual artist majoring in painting,” Babatunde says. But painting, for him, is only the beginning.
An alumnus of Yaba College of Technology, where he obtained a Higher National Diploma in Visual Arts, Babatunde has been immersed in painting since 1999. Since graduating, he has remained committed to studio practice, developing a career that has taken him into exhibitions, commissioned works and creative projects both within and outside Nigeria.
In 2016, he staged a solo exhibition at the prestigious Nike Gallery in Lagos, one of several milestones in a journey he describes as dynamic.
“Arts is very exciting. It is a calling and I am glad I answered it,” he says.
An artist without boundaries
What perhaps sets BB Arts apart is his determination not to allow labels or mediums to define the limits of his creativity.
Although painting remains his major area of practice, he works with oil, pastel, acrylic, pencil and charcoal. His creative exploration also extends beyond painting into sculpture, textile and graphics.
For Babatunde, this versatility is not simply about demonstrating technical ability. It is part of what he believes an artist should be.
“An artist must be comfortable expressing yourself across different media,” he says. “You can major in one but work across different areas professionally.”
That philosophy has become central to his identity.
“I am a multidimensional and talented artist who can use different materials,” he explains. “What makes me unique is my interpretation of art. You may find it difficult to pin me to one area.”
His works, therefore, reflect an artist constantly exploring possibilities — moving from pencil to acrylic, pastel or other media while maintaining his own creative voice.
The difficult road to becoming an artist
Behind the colourful works and international exposure, however, lies a story of persistence.
Babatunde says his decision to pursue art was not initially welcomed, even by members of his family. Like many young Nigerians who seek careers in the creative sector, he had to contend with the perception that art was neither financially rewarding nor a dependable career.
.
“I didn’t have much support,” he recalls. “But somehow I did it. The push was because I wanted to make a name for myself and my family. Even my family was against it.”
.
For him, the experience reflects a broader challenge facing the Nigerian art industry.
He believes many young people are discouraged from pursuing art because of the widespread perception that it is not lucrative.
That perception, he argues, is misplaced.
“Arts is very lucrative,” he insists.
He likens art to the palm kernel, where virtually every part can be useful and resourceful.
The problem, he says, is that many people are too focused on immediate gratification to appreciate the patience required to build a sustainable creative career.
“Arts is not like that,” he says. “You have to take your time.”
Why many parents still discourage art
Babatunde also points to the cost of studying art and the reluctance of many parents to support their children who want to pursue it professionally.
Studying art, he says, can be expensive, while mastering it requires considerable commitment, discipline and practice.
“It is more tasking and more challenging to study and master,” he says.
.
Yet despite the challenges, he believes the creative industry offers significant opportunities for those willing to develop their skills and remain committed.
For him, the issue is not a lack of value in art, but a lack of sufficient appreciation of its value.
Government has a role to play
Babatunde believes government can do much more to develop Nigeria’s creative sector.
He wants greater investment and deliberate policies that will encourage young artists and create platforms where they can develop, exhibit and commercialise their work.
“Government needs to do more to promote arts,” he says.
He argues that art already plays an important role in public communication, including the presentation of politicians, public programmes and institutions.
For him, supporting the arts should therefore not be viewed as a luxury, but as an investment in an industry capable of contributing to the economy and shaping how Nigeria presents itself to the world.
He also believes established artists and art platforms have a responsibility to encourage younger practitioners.
“Arts platforms need to motivate younger ones more,” he says.
A message to young artists
To young people hoping to build careers in art, Babatunde’s message is straightforward: talent alone is not enough.
“Sincerity, focus, perseverance, diligence and discipline” are essential, he says.
His own career is a reflection of that philosophy. More than two decades after choosing painting as his major area of practice, he remains committed to studio work and continues to explore different creative forms.
The reward is bigger than money
For Babatunde, the rewards of being an artist go beyond financial gain.
“Arts has taken my name to many places,” he says.
His works and professional engagements have given him exposure beyond Nigeria, something he considers one of the greatest rewards of his chosen path.
There is also the personal satisfaction.
“As an artist, this gives me joy and therapy,” he says.
It is this sense of fulfilment that perhaps explains why, after more than two decades, he continues to describe art as a calling.
Painting the beauty of life
Ask Babatunde what ultimately runs through his works and his answer is simple: the beauty of life.
That is the big message behind his painting.
His artistic journey is therefore not merely about mastering materials or producing aesthetically pleasing works. It is about interpreting life, finding meaning in it and communicating that interpretation through colour, form, texture and imagination.
He also acknowledges that painting has not achieved the level of mainstream acceptance enjoyed by some other forms of popular entertainment.
In his view, art requires a certain level of intellectual engagement and appreciation.
“Arts is very intellectual,” he says. “It is for those who appreciate it and can understand it.”
At BB Arts, however, the invitation appears to be simple: look closer.
Beyond the canvases, brushes and colours is the story of an artist who chose an unconventional path, survived the doubts surrounding it and built an identity around creative freedom.
BB Arts may be a painter by profession, but his canvas extends far beyond painting.
