Samuel Olayombo (b. 1991) is a Nigerian artist who studied fine and applied arts at the University of Benin. A lover of texture, Olayombo works with oils, acrylics, charcoal and pastels to create vibrant, dramatic, large-scale canvases of predominately male, non-gender normative portraits. His fascination with ‘scarring’ prevalent in certain Yoruba cultures as well as toxic masculinity, macho male culture, constructs of sexuality, gender roles, and equality are key narratives explored within his compositions. Olayombo pays homage to artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Arja Valimaki, El Dragg Okwoju, Joshua Mensirionye, Barkley Hendricks, and Vittu Samuel in his work.

Strawberry Bob exemplifies Olayombo's practice for which he has gained widespread recognition. The work exhibits Olayombo's characteristic handling of paint, applying the medium in thick, textured impasto with a palette knife to evoke the physicality of his subject's skin. The sugary pink shirt and background question our preconceived ideas surrounding the supposed violent masculinity of the cowboy, and the figure exposes us to a hidden history, in which up to a quarter of cowboys in the American West between 1860 and 1880 were Black. Olayombo presents us with a complex, sensitive and herioc evocation of an overlooked protagonist. This painting was presented at the artist's inaugural solo exhibition, held at ADA Contemporary, Accra, in 2022.  

Olayombo’s solo exhibitions include Unchained: The Cotton Candy Cowboys, ADA contemporary art gallery, Accra, (2022); The Rebirth, dual exhibition, Gloria Gallery, Paris (2022); Think Pink, Go West, Institute Museum of Ghana, Accra (2023); Lotus Bloom Ranchers, Zidoun Bossuyt Gallery, Dubai (2023); The Sound of Our Souls, group exhibition, ADA contemporary art gallery x UTA artists space, Los Angeles (2023). His works are part of collections including The Hornik Collection, Los Angeles; The Dean Collection, Los Angeles, CA; Olym Collection, Brussels; Sir David Adjaye Collection; Elliot Perry Art Collection, Tennessee; Se Tinat Collection, Madrid; The Bentata Collection, Miami, FL, among others.