About

Tunmi Da Silva (b. 1996, Antioch CA) is a Nigerian-American artist based in Los Angeles, CA. She holds a B. Arch degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (2019) and is currently pursuing an MFA in Sculpture at UCLA (2027).

Artist Statement

A Nigerian-American artist of Aguda descent based in Los Angeles, CA, tunmi da silva uses the language of materialityto adapt ancestral traditions carried through the body to foreign lands. da silva is allegorizes an analogous relationship between the human body and surface tensions. Having lived in California since birth, da silva loosely references Californian terrains. She draws from a range of other inspirations, including Black feminist theory, Yoruba folklore, architectures of the self, hydrology, necromantic allusions, youth cultures, and childhood memories. Her work is ultimately concerned with the various perspectives of and on self-absorption.