Introduction

Nigerian-born artist Bunmi Agusto (b. 1999, Lagos) is rapidly establishing herself within the international contemporary art scene. Through her distinctive world‐building approach and rich hybrid visual language, she offers a compelling reflection on identity, culture and fantasy. All information shared here is drawn from reliable sources.

Biography & Education

Agusto was born in 1999 in Lagos, Nigeria. She identifies as being of Yoruba, Edo and Afro-Brazilian descent, a mixture that informs her personal and artistic perspective.

Her academic credentials include:

• BA in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins (London), graduating with first-class honours.
• MA in History of Art & Archaeology at SOAS University of London, London.
• MFA at Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford.

She currently lives and works in London.

Artistic Practice & Themes

Agusto describes herself as a “world-builder” — an artist, writer, curator and art historian whose practice centres on fantasy and magical storytelling.

Her work revolves around an imaginary realm she calls “Within”:

“Within is a paracosm in the artist’s mind that functions as a repository for all that she encounters in her waking life.”

In this world she populates with hybrid figures — human and object-inflected — drawn from her network of family, friends and passers-by, though re-figured as “cross-reality migrants”.

Her visual language is built through drawings, paintings and printmaking on paper, often employing pastel pencils and mixed media.

Key thematic concerns in her practice:

• Identity and cultural hybridity
• Memory, migration, self-hood
• The intersection of fantasy, psychology and cultural theory

As she herself says in an interview:

“My art practice is currently an amalgamation of all my major interests… I’ve created my own fictional world with fictional people.”

Selected Exhibitions & Recognition

Agusto has exhibited both in solo shows and group exhibitions, gaining attention across continents.

Some highlights:

• Solo show “Outside” at kó – Ko Art Space, Lagos (2022)
• Solo show “Psychoscape” at TAFETA, London (2022)
• Group show “Free The Wind, The Spirit and The Sun” curated by Yinka Shonibare at Stephen Friedman Gallery, London (2023)
• Selected for New Contemporaries (2023) recognising emerging talent.

Recognition & awards:

• Clarendon Scholarship (Oxford, 2022)
• Cass Art Prize (Central Saint Martins)

Market Position & Pricing

Reliable public auction records for Agusto are limited. A credible source states:

“There are currently no auction results for this artist.”

However, some gallery-prices have been disclosed: For example, a gallery reported works priced in the £4,000 – £12,000 range at a major art fair. (Note: verify depending on currency/time).

Significance & Outlook

Bunmi Agusto is notable for bringing a deeply personal cultural ecology into a fantasy-driven practice that nonetheless remains grounded in contemporary discourse on identity, migration and hybridity. Her hybrid figures and invented paracosm open space for reflection on selfhood beyond conventional boundaries.

Given her strong academic background, growing exhibition record and emerging market presence, she is an artist with considerable momentum. For collectors, scholars and enthusiasts alike, her work offers both aesthetic depth and conceptual richness.