Born in 1994, Israel Padonu is a Nigerian contemporary mixed-media abstractionist and painter. He was introduced to the world of colours as a kid by his father, a professional signwriter. From that early exposure, Padonu honed his skills in drawing and painting through copying images from church magazines, a practice that significantly shaped his career path. He earned a bachelor’s degree in creative arts majoring in painting at the Tai Solarin University of Education, Nigeria in 2017. After a stint as an art teacher, Padonu transitioned to full-time professional practice in 2020. Inherently auto-ethnographic, Padonu’s works are characterised by an innovative use of ordinary materials, for exploring aspects of the socio-historical realities of his ancestral homeland, Badagry. The themes Israel explores include Time/Memory, Black Consciousness/Identity, and Self Emancipation.