Born in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2000, Slawn (real name Olaolu Akeredolu-Ale) relocated to London in his late teens and carved an unconventional path into the art world. He started out working at Nigeria’s first skate-shop and co-founded a streetwear brand, Motherlan, before leaning into painting and street art in London during the lockdown era.
Slawn sat down with Jim Jones during an IFC Factory, Artist 2 Artistt interview and shared insight into his raw creative process. Slawn described how he’s transformed his addictive tendencies into artistic energy and how growing up with nothing taught him to turn hardship into motivation and art into livelihood.
Slawn’s work is unapologetically bold spray paint, exaggerated faces with oversized lips, and a frenetic energy that blends street art with pop culture critique. He’s famously nonchalant about his success, once saying, “I don’t even know why people want this stuff … I make it just to mess around.”
