Adekunle Gold’s guide to his vibrant hometown of Lagos

While he may now be traveling the world performing, it all started in Adekunle’s hometown, Lagos. As a child, he grew up in a creative family with an artist father and sang in the local church choir. He then went on to art school, which led to him becoming a graphic designer, earning him the nickname “King of Photoshop” from his online followers thanks to his witty memes combining his comical poses with celebrities such as Nicki Minaj. , Kim Kardashian and even the Mona Lisa.

Adekunle’s childhood was filled with weekends at Bar Beach (now converted into a luxury urban beachfront area) and Apapa Amusement Park. School trips took him to cultural sites such as the National Theater and Onikan National Museum to learn about the history and culture of Nigeria. However, creativity came to him early when he learned to draw from his father as a child. “As a child, I was very fortunate to grow up with an artist father who sculpted, painted and made ceramics,” he explained during a video call from Lagos. “I learned from him at home about all the great people in art history, from Picasso to Michelangelo, and, ironically, he also taught me in high school, since he was also my art teacher, although it was impossible to bring his attention to my work. did there,” he says with a laugh. “Even though he encouraged me to do the same as him as a child, I still didn’t think I would pursue art after high school since I was planning on becoming a lawyer. However, I graduated from I studied Art and Design and specialized in Graphics at Lagos State Polytechnic. It was there that I immersed myself in everything from textiles to graphics, painting to ceramics and sculpture, but my love for graphics blossomed as I enjoyed coming up with ideas for communicating in this way. back in 2004 and which I continue to develop today.”