Victoria Oyindamola Makinde

BIOGRAPHY

Victoria Oyindamola Makinde (b. 1999) is a Nigerian visual artist based in Lagos. Working primarily in oil paint, her practice also incorporates gold leaf, oil pastels, and mixed media techniques to explore themes of identity, femininity, and cultural memory. A full-time studio artist, her work reflects a commitment to texture, symbolism, and layered storytelling.

Makinde received her National Certificate of Education in Fine and Applied Arts from the Federal College of Education, Osiele, Abeokuta, Ogun State, in 2020, where she majored in both Fine and Applied Arts. Since graduating, she has consistently developed her painting practice and participated in a growing number of group exhibitions across Lagos and online platforms.

Her recent exhibitions include Parallel Passages at Kokopelli Gallery (2024), the +234 Art Fair at Eco Bank (2024), the Affordable Art Fair at Idesign Art (2023), Freedom (online, 2022), Between Coming and Going at Soto Gallery (2022), and Strokes and Colours at Idesign Art (2022). She also took part in the Artbridge Mentorship Program in 2023, further expanding her network and professional development.

Through her bold compositions and dynamic surfaces, Makinde continues to engage with contemporary Nigerian art discourse while carving a distinctive voice for herself in the Lagos art scene.
 

ARTIST STATEMENT

My artwork is an exploration of love and healing, deeply rooted in my personal history and the emotional journey I have traversed. The colors I use—rose red, yellow, purple, and other hues traditionally associated with love—serve as a visual language to express the complex emotions surrounding this universal theme. These colors are not merely aesthetic choices; they carry deeper meaning as I attempt to recreate a sense of love that was absent in my own childhood, where I witnessed a marriage on the brink of collapse.

In my paintings, I strive to depict the opposite of the love I grew up with, envisioning instead a love that feels true, tender, and unwavering. The expressions of my subjects are subtle yet compelling, reflecting both the vulnerability and strength that come with genuine emotional connection. Their serenity stands in contrast to the chaos I once knew, offering a quiet meditation on love as something unconditional, comforting, and whole.

Through this process, my art has become a form of therapy, helping me heal from past traumas. It has also become a guide—a way to shape the emotional space I wish to inhabit in my life moving forward. My work is both a reflection of my personal history and an invitation for others to consider their own experiences with love, healing, and the pursuit of a more fulfilled life.