Yewande Ambeke: Exploring Memory Through Art

Yewande Ambeke, born in 1994, is a self-taught artist based in Lagos who initially pursued a career in clinical pharmacy, earning distinctions in her bachelor's and master's degrees. However, after discovering her passion for painting, she shifted her focus to art, which she describes as a therapeutic outlet for navigating emotions like joy, fear, hope, and anxiety.

Ambeke's artistic journey was significantly enhanced by her participation in the Rele Boot Camp in 2021, where she reconnected with nature. In 2022, she was a finalist for the Kuenyehia Prize for Contemporary Art in Accra, Ghana, and in 2023, she won third prize at The Art Report Africa Prize.

Her work is characterized by rich colors and textured figures, reflecting her experiences and memories, particularly those from her childhood surrounded by nature. Between 2023 and 2024, while preparing for her wedding, she created a series of landscape paintings influenced by her family home.