Rising Stars: Yusuf Mubaraq

Short Biography

Mubaraq Yusuf is a self taught Nigerian artist, he grew up in a city referred to as a city close to paradise, Ilorin, Kwara state. He has always showed creativity in his daily life as long as he could remember. He draws inspiration from closely observing the workings of the world around him, serenity, harmony with nature, African history, body language, and uniqueness of identity. With the use of oil on canvas Mubaraq Yusuf expresses his beliefs. He believes the surface of his canvas portrays more than just stories, it identifies, strength, human spirit, joy, hope, cultural value.

Statement

Mubaraq Yusuf prioritizes traditional values in his art. He is very conscious of culture and history, and fills the role of the artist as a preserver of the times, both contemporary and historical. In his paintings, personal, family and societal history come together to create a visual record of time, memory and nostalgia. In his work, texture and vibrancy are given ample attention. Mood and intensity are conveyed in understated painterly gestures that reflect a studied technique. This is not surprising, as he has expressed a keen interest in body language and their accurate rendering. This is interesting because in blending subject, style and theme, he makes a case for the body, the person, as a vehicle of history. Or rather, in looking at his paintings, we get the idea that it is in people that history lives and is transmuted. His work shows influences of academic portraiture in the Western tradition. But there is also an unmistakable commitment to an African aesthetic. Black figures and afros fill his canvases. This approach blends the traditional and international cultures that he comes from and registers his appreciation of them.

***Juwon’s umbrella,*** 2022
Oil on canvas, 4ft by 5ft

***Obinrin,*** 2022
Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 inches

***Beautiful Beginning,*** 2022
Oil on canvas, 16 x 20 inches

***Obinrin 2,*** 2022
Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 inches

***Vague,*** 2022
Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 inches

Get in touch
with Yusuf

Instagram: @mubaraq_yusuph_

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