As a professor at Ahamdu Bello University, Zaria, from 1976 until his untimely death in 1995, Gani Odutokun influenced a generation of contemporary artists in Nigeria. Working in drawing, sculpture, architectural design, writing, and political cartoons, Odotokun is primarily known as a painter who emphasised colour and tone as integral design elements.

While his early career was defined by subject matter relating to his Northern Nigerian cultural surroundings, Odotokun also explored elements of abstraction that emphasised fluid lines, textured surfaces, and free-flowing brush strokes. Odutokun began experimenting with a process using liquidated oils poured directly on the canvas, creating unpredictable and layered forms.

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