Artist Feature: Oreoluwa “OTEKA” Adeeko – Painter of Visible Emotions

Every season of the Chinwe Russell Contemporary Art Auction brings with it a wave of fresh voices, new narratives, and artists whose work carries profound emotional and cultural depth. Today, I am pleased to spotlight an exciting storyteller on canvas: Oreoluwa “OTEKA” Adeeko, a Nigerian-British contemporary artist whose visual language is as powerful as it is unforgettable.

OTEKA’s work enters the auction not merely as art, but as lived experience—migration, memory, identity, resilience, and the emotional truth of navigating two worlds.

Carrying Home Across Continents

In OTEKA’s own words, leaving Nigeria for the United Kingdom was not simply relocation. It was the act of carrying an entire emotional universe across continents—the colours of childhood, the quiet pulse of Yoruba traditions, and the weight of ancestral memory that travels with you whether you intend it or not.

For him, painting became the only way to hold these fragments together. His canvases form an emotional record—a diary of longing, courage, displacement, nostalgia, and cultural rebirth.

The Dotted Skin: A Bold Visual Language Rooted in Yoruba Memory

One of the most striking features in OTEKA’s work is the presence of dots on the skin. These are not simply decorative elements; they are his personal reinterpretation of Yoruba body markings, symbols of:

• Identity

• Protection

• Lineage

• Memory

• Emotional truth

He translates this cultural symbolism into three powerful primary colours, giving the work its emotional force:

• Red – passion, ancestral fire, inner heat

• Blue – memory, sadness, introspection

• Yellow – joy, resilience, hope

Together, these colours map the internal landscape of each subject. They reveal the untold stories beneath the surface—the emotions people feel but rarely speak.

Art as Emotional Cartography

OTEKA’s canvases are deeply autobiographical. Through primary colours, expressive portraiture, and symbolic interventions, he archives the emotional evolution of migration:the grief of leaving, the courage of rebuilding, the complexities of belonging, and the universal human desire to remain whole.

His work has developed into several distinct series, each stemming from the same emotional root:

The Home Series

Explores the idea that home begins as emotion, not geography. The recurring sunflower becomes a quiet witness to the truths people hold inside.

The La Chiquito Series

Inspired by a small Jacquemus bag that became a metaphor for the emotional luggage we all carry—joy, pain, identity, cultural memory.

The Virgin Series

Captures emotional “firsts,” those tender moments where innocence meets awareness.

Suit & Stillness

A powerful exploration of Black masculinity, vulnerability, and the tension between external poise and internal truth.

The Pride Series

A celebration of identity, confidence, and cultural resilience. Works like Adunni in Paris, Banke in Cambridge, and Carry Me Softly reflect the boldness of standing fully in oneself while navigating new landscapes.

A Voice Rooted in Migration, Memory, and Courage

For OTEKA, joining this auction is more than participation—it is affirmation. It is the acknowledgment that the journey of leaving home is not solely a story of loss, but one of becoming.

Every colour he uses, every face he paints, and every dot he places carries the emotional weight of this transformation.

“I believe the body remembers every place the heart has ever lived.”— Oreoluwa Adeeko (OTEKA)

Why Collectors Should Pay Attention

OTEKA’s work is powerful, contemporary, culturally relevant, and emotionally intelligent. His pieces resonate with collectors interested in:

• African contemporary art

• Diaspora narratives

• Emotion-driven portraiture

• Migration and identity themes

• Emerging investment-worthy artists

• Symbolism, colour psychology & cultural storytelling

As his profile continues to rise, early collectors will be glad they acquired his work at this pivotal moment.

A Personal Note from Chinwe Russell

As an artist of Nigerian heritage myself, OTEKA’s work speaks to something deeply familiar—the journey of holding two worlds within one body. His ability to translate emotional migration into bold, symbolic colour is refreshing.

I am genuinely proud to present his artworks in the Chinwe Russell Contemporary Art Auction of Living Artists – Christmas Edition. I invite collectors, art lovers, and cultural enthusiasts to experience these pieces closely,feel the emotion, the courage, the memory, and the resilient spirit embedded in every stroke.