Bolaji Campbell

Bolaji Campbell is a Professor of African and African Diaspora Art in the Department of Theory and History of Art and Design at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). He holds a PhD in Art History from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and MFA and BA degrees in Fine Arts from Obafemi Awolowo University (formerly University of Ife), Nigeria. His teaching experience includes roles at Obafemi Awolowo University, the University of Tennessee, University of Wisconsin, and the College of Charleston.

His research focuses on African art, contemporary African art, African American art, and the African diaspora. Key publications include Fabric of Immortality (2020) and Painting for the Gods (2008), exploring Yoruba religious art and ancestral performance. Campbell has received prestigious awards such as the Sylvia and Pamela Coleman Fellowship and the Richard A. Horovitz Professional Development Fund Fellowship.

He has contributed to academic journals and institutions like the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture. His work bridges art history, cultural anthropology, and religious studies, emphasizing the intersection of tradition and modernity in African artistic practices.