Yusuff Aina

Biography

Yusuff Aina (born in 1997 in Nigeria) is a multidisciplinary artist primarily working with acrylics and installations. From a young age, he developed a passion for art and made creativity his anchor to navigate life. Aina's artistic practice explores psychosocial realities, addressing themes such as alienation, trust, belonging, and their impact on both the environment and the mind. Through his work, the artist creates alternative spaces and identities, expanding the boundaries of a constantly evolving visual language. Aina uses figures, motifs, and landscapes resembling cartoon drawings, infused with fantastical elements, as vehicles for storytelling. These motifs are known as 'ainasm', ethereal threads that wind around 'eniyan', a recurring fictional character symbolizing the unity of humanity and embodying the mantra of resilience. The term 'ainasm' is derived from the artist's surname, Àina, which in the Yorùbá tradition refers to a child born with the umbilical cord wrapped around their neck. 'Ènìyàn' translates to 'human being.' For Aina, embracing mythical and speculative realms represents a poetic quest to express both personal and shared experiences, while reexamining perspectives on desire, hope, and imagination. Within these alternative worlds born from his exploration, there is a profound sense of freedom and depth that Ènìyàn truly inhabits, confronted by a myriad of dilemmas that echo those defining our present reality. Aina studied art education at the Federal College of Education in Akoka, where he graduated in 2018. In 2019, he participated in a collective exhibition at the Nigerian Presidential Villa, organized by Bayo Omoboriowo and curated by Retro Africa. In 2021, he was commissioned by Access Bank to create an interactive Ènìyàn stand at the inaugural West African Art Fair, ART X Lagos. He has also exhibited his works at his solo exhibition in Lagos at Art Twenty One, presented by Retro Africa, as well as in group exhibitions at the African Artists’ Foundation (Lagos), Vins Gallery (Taipei), Eligere Gallery (Seoul), Dida Gallery (Abidjan), Unit Gallery (London), Thinkspace Project (Los Angeles), and Retro Africa (Abuja).