Nina Fabunmi – Portraits Art Exhibition

2013/14 Portriats Art Exhibition – MyArtContest.com

Artist: Nina Fabunmi – San Francisco, CA

My earliest memories are of me making art, I developed my artistic skills just as I learnt how to read and write but I realized it was a gift when I noticed that my peers could not draw like I could. At six, I would make small drawings and render them with colored pencils and I would give them to my dad. He had a spot on the wall of his studio where he pinned up all my work. My Dad is an architect and in my sheltered upbringing, his tools of creativity and his artistic influence surrounded me. As a teenager, art became my means of expression, I wrote poetry and I made art and upon my high school graduation, I received a proficiency Certificate in Fine Art. 

 Dissuaded by my parents for the lack of faith that a career as an Artist could earn me a comfortable living, I ended up with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Estate Management also called Real Estate. My Department was in the Faculty of Environmental Design and Management that also housed the Fine Art department. This posed as a great advantage to me as I spent my free time in the Fine Art studios

After my graduation, I decided to do a Masters in Fine Art because this is where my passion is and I knew that if I ever had to go back to school it would be on my own terms. I got on the Internet and searched for Art schools abroad and that was when I discovered the Academy of Art. I made contact with the school, but at that time, I could not afford the fees so I put it on hold while I faced my career.

 My only work experience in Real Estate was six months of Industrial Training while in running my Bachelors program. As a graduate, I worked in Broadcasting, Banking and Telecommunications, I moved from industry to industry in search for what I always had; a fulfilling career. I never stopped drawing and painting. In 2001 I got introduced to a Gallery owner who purchased five of my works. I was pleasantly surprised. In that same year, I made my first oil painting. I would paint and sell one- on- one to those who were privy to seeing my work as it was like a hobby to me. The Gallery owner introduced me to Art associations in Nigeria, which I eventually became a member of. I slowly integrated myself into the Art world in Nigeria and had my first Art Exhibition in 2008, and since then I have been exhibiting and selling my works while running a regular 8-5 job.

In 2011, I was commissioned to supply art work for guesthouse . This was the break I had been looking for. It gave me the chance to consider a full time career as an artist. I  then  picked up my dream of an MFA Fine Art painting at the Academy Of Art University.

I am currently an MFA Fine Art Painting Graduate Student.