Galleries

Solo Exhibition –Laolu Senbanjo
Opening Reception | Thursday, November 9^th 6-8PM

Sacred Art of the Ori is a solo exhibition featuring several large scale works by Laolu Senbanjo. Known for his glowing, patterned lines which cover every inch of human bodies, creating an appearance of a mysterious language on skins, Senbanjo translates this technique to the canvas. The foundation of the Sacred Art of the Ori ritual is the Yoruba religious practice of becoming one with yourself or awakening the God in you (Ori). Laolu’s influence creating this practice is his paternal Grandmother (Mama) who strongly impacted his life and his Art.

“The Sacred Art of the Ori is a Spiritually Intimate Experience. It’s Cathartic for both me and my Muse. We Connect Our Minds, Bodies, and Souls on Higher Level. I paint their Spirit and Soul from that Connection. It Breathes Life into Us Both. ”— Laolu

Laolu is a Brooklyn based Nigerian born Performance and Visual Artist, Singer/Songwriter/Musician, Human Rights Lawyer and Activist whose mantra is “Everything is my canvas.”  He considers himself a ‘keeper of the Yoruba culture.’  His Sacred Art of the Ori Yoruba body paint ritual (which he created) was featured on Beyonce’s Grammy Award winning Visual Album, “Lemonade.”  He’s graced the cover of the Washington Post, had features in the NY Times, Vogue, BBC, CNN, VICE and more.  His ever growing list of collaborations have been with brands like Kenneth Cole, Nike, Equinox Fitness, and with other artists such as Alicia Keys, Swiss Beatz, Seun Kuti, Tony Allen, Alek Wek, and Danielle Brooks.  You can find his music on iTunes, Spotify and Apple Music. Listen to his TED talk on TED.com You can also buy his cologne Bvlgari’s Black Essence featuring his original Art work at Bulgari.com

This exhibition is on view from November 9^th to December 8^th at Rush Arts Gallery, 526 W26th St #311, New York, NY 10001