How Tolu Mustapha Blends Art, Music, and Narrative to Chronicle African Stories

October 10, 2024

Ayodeji Ake

In the world of art, some paint with colors, others with words, and a rare few with sound. Nigerian-born artist and creative powerhouse Tolu Mustapha does all three—gracefully and impactfully. With her vivid impasto portraits, heartfelt music, and thought-provoking conversations on her media show The Narrative, she’s building a bridge between heritage and the future—one brushstroke, one lyric, one story at a time.
Trained in Fine and Applied Arts at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in Nigeria, Tolu Mustapha has emerged as a resonant voice for her generation—both on canvas and beyond. Now based in the United Kingdom, she is a figurative painter and impressionist artist whose work draws from human expressions, everyday experiences, and the socio-political landscape of Africa.

Primarily working in impasto mediums—with oil, pastels, and charcoal—Tolu explores African narratives, identity, and empowerment. Her inspiration comes not only from global issues but also from her environment and real people around her. “I use the human face to express what is unspoken. Their features are a reflection of both their personal journey and the societal weight they carry,” she shares.

Tolu’s work has been featured in exhibitions across Nigeria and the UK, and her pieces are held in private collections around the world. But her art practice is far more than visual. Tolu is also a musician, writer, poet, and presenter, constantly stretching the limits of artistic expression. This interdisciplinary flair birthed one of her most cherished projects yet—The Narrative.

The Narrative: Bridging Generations, One Conversation at a Time.

In 2020, during the global lockdown, Mustapha gave life to The Narrative, a live Instagram podcast designed to chronicle and celebrate artists from the Global South—particularly Nigeria. “The platform was created as a bridge between the older and younger generations of creatives,” she explains. “It’s about mentorship, learning, community, and passing the baton.”

The show delves deep into crucial topics: defining artistic style, navigating the art market, mentorship, relationships between curators and artists, and surviving the often misunderstood creative ecosystem. More than just a show, The Narrative has become a movement.

Tolu has interviewed an impressive roster of creatives including Edosa Ogiugo, Diseye Tantua, Ibe Ananaba, and Professor Peju Layiwola. She has also featured curators like Ronke Akinyele and emerging voices such as Raji Mohammed, Femi Oyewole, and Eleez Ekpetorson. These conversations aren’t only informative—they are transformative.

The Acoustics: Where Art Meets Sound

On 22nd September 2024, Mustapha took her creative expression a notch higher by curating a multidisciplinary event titled “The Acoustics” in Birmingham, United Kingdom. A combination of an art exhibition and a music concert, the event was held at the iconic Murthers Studios in the heart of Birmingham.

The exhibition, a collaboration with acclaimed photographer Diji Aderogba, showcased a seamless fusion of drawings, paintings, and photographs. The space was transformed into a sensory experience where attendees not only saw art but felt it—through stories etched in brushstrokes and shutter clicks.

“The exhibition for me was my introduction to curating,” Tolu reflects. “It was a challenge but a fun experience for me to go through my own work and be able to pick out works that align with the vision and the purpose of the event as a whole. It was also great to be able to curate photographs from a huge collection of photographs available by the second artist that exhibited, and to be able to pick out pictures that align with the whole idea. It was a learning curve for me.”

“Then seeing it all come together after all the works had been mounted up in place and seeing the cohesion between drawings, paintings and photographs, made it all worth it.”

But the art didn’t stop on the walls. The night evolved into a concert featuring five other musical acts, with Tolu herself taking the stage to perform original songs. The audience—diverse and multi-cultural—experienced the power of creative synthesis, where sound met sight, and every note echoed the themes already seen in the artworks.

A Legacy in The Making

Mustapha’s journey is a testament to what it means to grow into one’s purpose. From exhibiting in renowned galleries such as Thought Pyramid and The Holy Art Fair at Oxo Tower to being an headliner at Jazz & Blankets UK Tour 2025, she remains a torchbearer for African creativity.
And she’s not doing it alone. She teaches younger artists, helps art lovers build meaningful collections, and educates the public about the ever-evolving world of art. “In the past decade, I continue to fall in love with what it means for me to be an artist,” she says. “And I am daily, constantly and consistently improving on my skills, while giving back.”
Through The Narrative, through her paintings, and through events like The Acoustics, Tolu Mustapha is doing more than creating art—she’s curating culture and writing a new African story.