Toyin Loye Nigeria, b. 1959
Toyin Loye is an artist who is best known for his experimentations with materials and technical interventions, working across diverse media including painting, sculpture, photography and mixed media. His works combine photographic elements, often using black and white photographs of women, where he punctures the material support to create rips and tears.
Drawing inspiration from his cultural heritage, Loye points to Yoruba traditions of body and face markings, which represent identification with community, family and genealogy, as well as acting as symbols of beauty. Making his own marks by carving into the photographic surface, the artworks take on a sculptural depth and play with abstraction and colour. Created through a silkscreen process, each work is unique in its individual perforations.
Born in 1959 in Ijebu Jesa, Nigeria, Toyin Loye studied Fine Art at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile Ife. His work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in Nigeria, Senegal, Argentina, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom, Australia, United States, Germany, Spain, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands. Toyin was commissioned by FIFA along with Andreas Gursky, Luo Brothers, Markus Lupetz and others to create the official Art Poster for the Germany 2006 World Cup.
