VILLAGER

VILLAGER (b. Abdulrasheed Adekunle Adaranijo in Lagos, Nigeria) is a Nigerian-born International Artist, Cultural Producer, and African Spirituality Practitioner whose work exists to scrutinize, deconstruct, and redefine what it means to be a “Contemporary African" by exploring the notions of post-colonial identity, cultural heritage, material intelligence, and knowledge production.

They have presented solo exhibitions ÀṢẸ: Embodying the Divine (2024), and  BUSH BOY! (2022) in Baltimore, MD. VILLAGER's work has also been exhibited in numerous group exhibitions including, Sou(l): Mostra de Arte Afro-Diaspórica, Artspace Vigidal, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Diasporic Crossing, Southside Contemporary, Richmond, VA, BLAQ SHEEP, Superchief Gallery LA, Los Angeles, CA, AFROFUTURISM: 100 years after the Harlem Renaissance, Papermill Playhouse, Millburn, NJ to name a few. VILLAGER has also been commissioned for performances at The Peale Museum, THE ROUSE COMPANY FOUNDATION GALLERY, Creative Alliance, and Maryland Art Place.

VILLAGER's work has been featured in publications such as BmoreART, Baltimore Banner, and NUNAR, and has received several awards including the Baltimore Mayor's Office Individual Artist Award (2025). VILLAGER's artwork can be found in private art collections in Los Angeles, Baltimore, and Rio de Janeiro. VILLAGER is formally trained as a Water Microbiologist and Environmental Researcher, earning a B.S. in Environmental Chemistry from Towson University in 2020.