Artist: Toju Clarke

Toju Clarke (b. 1996) is a Nigerian contemporary artist whose practice spans digital art and sgraffito - a unique technique of scratching through painted surfaces to reveal underlying layers. His work explores themes of mental health, identity, and the expressive potential of the African body, often balancing feelings of comfort and discomfort through raw, textured imagery.

Rooted in his personal experiences and cultural influences, Clarke transforms acts of discomfort, such as scratching, into meditations on relief and release — finding beauty in vulnerability. His art draws upon everyday materials like linen, fabric, and acrylics, combining them with digital experimentation to form a visual language that is both visceral and deeply introspective.

A graduate of Yaba College of Technology, Clarke has exhibited with Artpantheon Gallery and participated in Dakar Biennale 2022 as part of a LIMCAF-sponsored residency. His work has also been shown in London with Loud Youth Projects.

Through his evolving practice, Clarke continues to explore how texture, gesture, and storytelling can reflect emotional resilience and the lived experience of being African in a rapidly shifting world.