Born in 1934 in the Brazilian Quarter of Lagos, Yusuf Grillo went on to become one of the most influential figures in Nigerian art. After studying extensively in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, Grillo became the Head of Art and Printing at Yaba College of Technology, a post he retained for over twenty-five years. During this period he has received a number of public commissions; his mosaics and stained glass can be seen in churches, universities, government buildings across Lagos, and most recently at the Murtala Mohammed International airport.

Grillo was a member of the Zaria School, a society founded in 1958, a year before Nigeria's independence. The movement was motivated by a desire to create a 'national st...