House Style with gallerist Oyinkansola Dada in Pimlico
Words Billie Brand
Photography Ellen Christina Hancock
Oyinkansola lives on a particularly pleasing residential street, lined with cream-painted stucco houses that look their best on the blue-skied day of our visit. Inside, a large sash window frames the buildings, but it’s Oyinkansola’s collection of art that really demands our attention. As the founder of her namesake gallery and magazine, Dada, Oyinkansola champions the work of emerging Black artists from Africa and its diaspora. At home, hanging on the walls in her living space and bedroom, for instance, are works by those she represents and admires: Fidelis Joseph, Bunmi Agusto, Nuits Balnearies, Kwadwo Asiedu, Ayanfe Olarinde, Bruce Onabrakpeya and Uthman Wahab. “For me, it’s all about the artist,” she explains, twirling her braids. “I’m drawn to those I feel represent me.”
Unlike many of her contemporaries, Oyinkansola didn’t grow up around art. In fact, it wasn’t until, aged 17, she moved to London to study politics that she had what she describes as a “pre-art awakening”. “I was reading a lot of Black literature by authors including Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. That’s when issues around identity came to the forefront of my mind. I started seeing culture beyond what everybody partakes in and, instead, what relates to me as a Nigerian living in the UK,” she says. “Black literature laid the groundwork for how I view art.”
Oyinkansola had something of a career-shaping moment, though, when she visited the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in Somerset House. “I had never seen anything like that before – a fair dedicated to Black artists. That had a huge impact on me.” Now Oyinkansola is among those shaping the industry, which she does by dividing her time between London and Lagos. “Being here excites me because this city is an art capital,” she says. “Lagos doesn’t have the same infrastructure, but there’s something thrilling about being part of a market that’s now finding itself. I feel like the possibilities are endless there, because there’s so much room for growth.”
But right now, she’s back in London and busy working on the second edition of her magazine and, as we discover, learning how to DJ… Here Oyinkansola shares her House Style.
How would you describe the interiors of your home?
Comfortable and stylish.
When people visit, they often say this space is very reflective of me – and I think that’s because it’s a mixture of all my lived experiences. There are the things I’ve collected from my travels, paintings by artists I admire and books that I enjoy. While I arrived with some objects, every piece of furniture has been chosen carefully for the space.
I also love the high ceilings and cornicing here. New builds aren’t my thing – I didn’t want anything too shiny. I wanted something that felt charming with ornamentation.
When are you happiest at home?
One of my favourite parts of the day is when I open the windows and let the light in. I love just watching people pass by.
But I’m also happy just being home – and I really enjoy watching Real Housewives on the projector. Nothing beats an evening on the sofa after a long day.
If you could save one thing, what would it be?
Definitely my Ligne Roset sofa. When I was looking for some seating for my living room, I was just after comfort. I wanted something I could unwind on. That is the one of most important things to me. There’s something about that sofa’s shape that stood out to me – it’s very low, you have to really relax into it. It took me a long time to decide on the colour, though. I was going to go for cream, but now I know that would have been a terrible idea…
Then there’s the Fidelis Joseph painting behind it, which I bought myself as a 25th birthday gift. It’s the largest piece I own so far. Fidelis is a really incredible artist I’ve been following for a while and started working with recently – we just had a show in New York. He considers himself a documentarian and in the depth of his visuality is a treasure trove of the sublimity of African storytelling.
What’s your favourite living space around the world?
Casa Luis Barragán in Mexico City.
The structure of the building is beautiful; it’s very sleek and there’s something about its clean lines. The palette is also amazing – I don’t know how they mixed those colours. But there is an element of ornamentation too, which is very important to me. A lot of Mexican architecture has that has that balance of minimalism and beautiful adornment.
What was the last thing you bought?
Candles from Mexico City.
They’re amazing. They came from a shop where everything is handmade. That’s where I bought the top I’m wearing too.
What are your top three coffee-table books?
I have to start by saying Dada magazine, which is a physical manifestation of the gallery and features many of the artists I work with. The relationships you build with them as a gallerist can become very emotional because you spend so much one-on-one time together. I like to really invest in their vision.
I also like Apartamento – especially the one on my table at the moment, which has Solange on the cover. And then anything by Lynette Yiadom-Boakye. I have a few books on her work and I’m always flicking through them. I went to her show at Tate Britain a few times. Her paintings are amazing.
If money was no object, what changes would you make?
I’d buy a Lynette Yiadom-Boakye painting. I’d also expand the space and get wooden floors.
If you’re having people over for dinner, what do you cook?
I love having people over – this is a really nice space to entertain in – but I don’t cook. Instead, there would be wine and maybe make some plantain chips or a charcuterie board, perhaps with some cheese and grapes.
What does a Sunday look like here?
I would probably be folding clothes – my wardrobe is overflowing.
I have also been teaching myself how to DJ recently, so I’d spend a few hours practicing that. I like to play everything – Nigerian music, R&B, pop… I’ve been watching a lot of tutorials and now I know how to control the technicalities of the set, I’m learning to mix. It’s a lot of fun. I’m planning to have a party here and play for friends over summer. That’s what I’m working towards.
What are the best things about the neighbourhood?
I love being near Tate Britain and there are lots of restaurants and a great vintage shop here.
But most of all, I’m inspired by the old buildings. I take pictures of them all the time. The ones on this street used to be mansions and I find it interesting to see how they’ve changed with the world. Each house here holds so much history – and I love that.
Photography Ellen Christina Hannock
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