Meet Oreoluwa Salako: Using Afrofuturism to explore Black history, culture and identity

Oreoluwa Salako is one of 3 artists who worked with UAL's Creative team to create the collages used for our 2026 Black History Month campaign.

We spoke to Oreoluwa about her creative journey, the importance of community and the inspiration behind her collage for this year’s campaign.

How did your journey with art begin?

I've always been drawing from a young age. At first, it was just something to do when I was bored, but I realised I was quite good at it and started taking it more seriously when I got to secondary school.

I continued with art through GCSE and A level. I initially wanted to study architecture but realised there was too much maths involved, so I kept drawing and started finding different interests through that.

What themes or messages do you most often explore in your work?

My practice explores Afrofuturism and Afro-Surrealism and ways of looking at Black culture. I'm really interested in looking at archives and Black history, including some of the more traumatic parts of history such as slavery and colonialism. I like taking those histories and turning them into something that feels sci-fi, surreal or mystical. I'm really interested in mermaids and how they can connect to the transatlantic slave trade.

I'm also interested in intersectionality and how things like gender and queerness interact with Blackness. I feel quite multifaceted in my identity and I don't think there's one fixed way of being so I like to explore that.

This year's Black History Month theme is ‘Honouring our Communities’. What does this theme mean to you personally?

Community is everything to me. It doesn't have to be 100 people. It can be even one person who makes you feel seen and heard. I think that's especially important for marginalised communities, whether that's queer people, Black people, people of colour or disabled people.

As an artist, I want to use my voice and take up space, but I also want to create alongside my community rather than being the sole voice or director. I like bringing other people along with me, learning from them, giving back and making progress collectively.

A lot of the projects I enjoy involve my friends and are about learning together.

Is there a person or community that has shaped the way you are as an artist and influenced your work?

Kerry James Marshall was one of the first artists I looked at who really stood out to me. I saw an exhibition of his work and thought he was one of the most talented artists.

Basquiat was also one of the first Black artists I knew about. I'm interested in Kerry James Marshall's paintings because he paints Black people very dark and places them into almost movie-scene-like frames, which I find really meaningful.

I'm also influenced by movies, my childhood, posters and graphic design, as well as Nigerian culture and music.

Can you tell us a bit about the idea behind your collage?

I brought in lots of different materials and fabrics because I really love texture and layering. I used photography from a photographer who documented Black Britain in the 1980s and mixed that with imagery from nature. I think putting Black people in nature just makes sense. Black people should be able to exist amongst greenery and flowers and just be beautiful.

I also used Nigerian imagery and images from the British Museum collection. I'm interested in reclaiming artefacts from Yoruba culture because they are ours.

The collage brings together different parts of the diaspora and reflects what it's like living in Britain as a Black person.

What story from your community do you think deserves to be told more often?

I think Black women's stories deserve to be told more often. There has been progress in representation for Black British people, but I don't think there is enough representation for Black queer people. There can still be a lot of taboo around that, especially in religious circles and there can be exclusion and homophobia.

It's something that can be difficult to talk about with family but it's something I want to explore more through my work.

What do you hope people take away from your collage?

I hope people feel a sense of pride and empowerment. I also want people to see something they don't know and then go away and research it for themselves. I don't want to spoon-feed people how to feel. I'd rather they question things and figure out what they take from the work themselves.

What made you put your work forward for UAL's Black History Month campaign?

I was approached through UAL Showcase by Lily, who emailed me about it, which I was really grateful for. When I read about the project, the collages and everything about it were exactly the kind of thing I like to do. It felt like it was made for me, so I wanted to be part of it.

What is one message that you'd like to give this Black History Month?

I'd love to highlight the message that engaging with your community, no matter how big or small, is so important. It takes a bit more effort to work towards something and we maybe won't see collective change for a long time, but if we don't take the power within ourselves to even try, then we've failed our ancestors, our family, our friends and anyone with shared experiences. I think it's also important to remember we're stronger together and we don't need to take on or internalise our struggles alone. Connection leads to liberation!