Akinola Lasekan, born S.A. Oladetimi in Owo, began as a self-taught artist before training under colonial art instructor Kenneth Murray. With a sure hand and sharp eye, he became a pioneer of Nigerian modernism, best known for his striking portraits and cultural imagery.

He designed textiles in the 1930s, illustrated Bible stories for the CMS Bookshop, and by the 1940s was part of the first wave of Nigerian artists teaching art in schools across the country. In 1961, he joined the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where his work drew deeply from Yoruba myths and history.

Some of his notable works include The Emir in Council (1941), The Muslim Beauty (1952), Portrait of a Man (1956), Iya Agba (1958), Fulani (1959), and Ijo Ibile (1970).