Robʼs journey has been one of consistent reinvention. A British-Nigerian artist now based in Australia, Rob spent
decades helping to shape visual culture as a designer and later, advertising creative. A Cannes Lions juror, his career
includes stints in London, New York and Sydney, where he crafted emotive and award-winning campaigns for brands
such as De Beers, Cadillac and Axe (Lynx) at agencies including the lauded Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH). Yet despite his
commercial success, there was a different kind of story waiting to be told.
Rob first picked up a paintbrush in 2012, then set it down in 2013. In 2024 he came back — this time for good.
He paints moments or very short stories… A seven-second love affair in a Soho shoe shop, a date with someone who
failed to see the irony of their endless chatter during the movie ʻA Quiet Placeʼ, or a chance encounter with Philippe Petit;
the man who ʻdancedʼ on a tightrope strung between New Yorkʼs Twin Towers in 1974.
His visual language is bold, evocative and rooted in his multi-disciplinary background and identity. His work often uses wit
to explore the complexities of race, relationships, culture and connection, blending gestural abstraction with figurative
elements. The result? A compelling fusion of emotion and intellect, instinct and precision.
In just a short time since returning to painting, Rob has made a striking impact:
Finalist, Australia’s National Emerging Art Prize (2024)
Excellence Award, Whitelock Art Centre International Art Prize, NYC (2024)
Solo Show, Audrey Fine Art (2024)
Featured in ‘The A-Z of Contemporary Art’, ABC Television (2013)
Solo Show, Gaffa Gallery, Sold out on opening night (2013)
Whether crafting a short film script or a brushstroke, Rob moves seamlessly between art forms, proving that great stories
can be told in many ways.
