Abayomi Barber is a surrealist painter, sculptor and teacher. He is probably one of the most influential contemporary artists in Nigeria. He has, over the years, thought and influenced a generation of Nigerian artists.
Barber was born in Ife in 1928. As a child, he was attracted to the Ife sculptures in the palace of his uncle, the then Oni of Ife, Oba Adesoji Aderemi. By his early teens, the precocious Barber had started to create artworks from whatever material was available to him. His early pastels were made directly from coloured chalk soaked in water and kitchen charcoal.