Olaolu Slawn is a Nigerian-born creative who has been based in London since 2018. His work spans multiple mediums, with pop art and graffiti-inspired designs appearing on skate decks, canvases, murals, clothing, and sculpture. Growing up as an avid skateboarder in Lagos, he was entrusted at age 15 with the role of creative director at WAFFLESNCREAM, the city’s first and only skate shop and an important community hub for local culture. Through mentorship from shop owner Jomie Bello, Slawn met the two friends with whom he later founded the skate crew and apparel brand Motherlan, which gained attention from skateboarders and streetwear fans worldwide. In late 2017, Slawn met British grime MC Skepta while hosting a pop-up event at the skate shop, marking the beginning of an ongoing collaboration and friendship. He moved to London the following year, initially enrolling in graphic design school before turning to painting during the 2020 lockdowns. In just a few years, Slawn’s work has developed a cult following, attracting major figures across music and art through his unconventional approach to creation and marketing. Today, he runs BeauBeau’s Cafe in London, a multifunctional art gallery and event space, and has recently released a custom Air Max 90 pack with Nike.
Full segment featured in Issue 12 of Living Proof Magazine.
So, I was reading about your background, and I wanted to hear your story about how and where you grew up and what your early life was like before all of this.
Believe it or not, I grew up a Jehovah’s Witness. Grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, in a religious home. It’s the same corny story, bro. Religious, rebellious kid, ADHD ridden bastard type. I hate telling it because it feels cliché. If my life was a film, it would just be so predictable. Move to another country, skate, then start painting. Feels like a Larry Clark film gone right, you know what I mean? So yeah, that’s basically it.
You could say it’s cliché, but not really. A lot of people who come from skating or backgrounds like that don’t usually end up having their lives go this way. This feels like a one off chance, almost. What do you think about that?
Yeah, because I’m basically a poser, but not poser. I skate properly. I’ve done stair sets in my life, but when I came here, the focus shifted. I was only supposed to be in London for two weeks. I came here just to do a pop up with my friends, then I was like, you know what, let me ride it out, sleep on couches as long as I can, and figure out my way.
My first sale was for a gram of cocaine. That was the first time I saw value in my work.
Slawn
I started as a graphic designer and then basically stumbled into painting. The day I started painting really, I just stumbled on it. My first sale was for a gram of cocaine. Someone offered me that, and it was the first time I saw value in my work. So to end up at this point is weird, because I still don’t see myself as an artist. And I don’t mean that disrespectfully. I mean it in the sense that people go to school for this, you feel what I’m saying?
That’s why I never really call myself an artist. I just make things. I could wake up tomorrow and say I want to make a record, or a painting, or something else. I’m constantly bored, and that boredom pushes me to make stuff.
That’s why I understand why people get upset about my existence. They think, “He’s not doing anything special.” And I’m like, yeah, I know. I’m just doing what you once thought in your head, but you never did. I just do it. Whatever I think in my head, I go for it, because I’m bored all the time.
Do you care what the public thinks of you? You know, there’s obviously a lot of public opinion, people commenting all the time saying stuff, and you’re in the public eye.
I’d rather be hated than loved. With hate, you can rise to love. With love, falling to hate is way more peak, you know? Imagine everyone saying, “He’s so sick, he’s so sick,” and then they slowly start resenting you.
I could only prove my worth because I started from hate. I can see in a few years from now people being like, “You know what, I didn’t like this guy before, but it kind of makes sense what he’s doing.” That’s what I think might happen. But if it doesn’t, I still really don’t care.
The whole point of doing this was never to be liked or loved. I told you. I was just bored.
So is your art like therapy for you?
That’s literally what it is, bro. I don’t paint to get better at painting. I honestly just do it because I have to be doing something. I hate not working toward something or not having something to look forward to.
Having a eureka moment is like a high. It’s like, “Oh, I’ve done this now. Cool. Now, on to the next thing.” That’s how I live day to day, month to month. Just waiting on those little moments.
How do you come up with your ideas?
Most of the time I’ve got a lot of books in my house. I’ll look through them, see something Supreme did, or something another artist did, and I’ll think, what’s stopping me from doing that?
People will say, “If you do that, nobody’s gonna like you.” And I’m like, okay, so after that, what happens? Nothing. That’s it. So I’ll do it. If that’s the worst thing that can happen, then cool.\
Read the full interview in Living Proof Magazine Issue 12, available on the Living Proof Patreon and Online Shop.
