The Department of Art and Design welcomed Dr. Bolaji Ogunwo as a visiting professor for the Spring 2026 semester. The Lagos, Nigeria, painter and muralist teaches drawing and painting courses while sharing a practice built on more than two decades of work.
Ogunwo works in impasto, a technique in which paint is applied in thick layers using a palette knife rather than a brush.
“Color is the vehicle through which my ideas travel,” he explained. “I conjure a rich texture that is unkind to the austere use of paint.”
Ogunwo’s work this semester extended beyond the classroom. In March, he visited Lebanon High School in Lebanon, Missouri. While there he led a painting workshop for students. He also presented a painted portrait to retired Judge Stan Moore.
Meanwhile, his exhibition “Rough Idea” was on view April 3 as part of the First Friday Artwalk at the Jim D. Morris Center. The work drew on his travels and explored how culture and climate shape human experience.
Ogunwo’s connection to Missouri began in 2012 when he met Crockett Oaks, III, an art collector, in Lagos. The pair remained in contact after Oaks returned to the U.S. and joined Missouri State’s West Plains campus. In 2021, Ogunwo visited Oaks in West Plains, where he has since painted murals of African and African American history, culture and achievement.
Art reflects authentic global perspective
Assistant Vice President Paula Moore, of Missouri State’s Global Education and Engagement office, said Ogunwo’s semester represented a meaningful expansion of the university’s outreach efforts.
“The value of hosting a professor of Dr. Ogunwo’s caliber cannot be overstated,” Moore said. “He brings an authentic global perspective that enriches our academic environment, challenges students to think beyond borders, and elevates conversations around culture, history and representation.”
Ogunwo said his semester at Missouri State has influenced his own thinking and practice as well.
“My experience in Springfield during the spring semester is invaluable in my career,” he reflected. “It has shifted my thinking and practice.”
Sam Barnette is a writer for the Department of Art and Design. She earned an MFA in Dramatic Writing from Missouri State’s Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film. She is now working toward a doctorate in Interdisciplinary Education and Higher Ed Administration from Lindenwood University.
Reynolds College blog posts are human researched, written and reviewed unless otherwise indicated.
