Our Door
Formally known as, Creative Milieu Consulting Group, now Ilèkùn Wa, we means “our door” in the West African language, Yoruba. Here at Ilèkùn Wa we view doors as metaphors for the space to a which many modern & contemporary African creatives occupy, liminality. Residing both inside and outside, Ilèkùn Wa is a space of trans-nationalism, third-culturalism, and a radical refusal to categorized oneself as either, but rather, both.
Ilèkùn Wa also represents the threshold of opportunity, and our consultancy focuses on recognizing, defining and pursuing sustainable income-generating opportunities for African creative artist gallery and cultural institutions, on the continent and throughout the diaspora.
The new business name “ilekun wa” means “our door.” I chose this name to pay homage to my ancestral roots and love for the revered Yoruba royal palace sculptor, Olowe of Ise. Traditionally, the palace door was commissioned to represent narratives of the Kings rule and family from past to present narrated in a graphic novel of wooden panels.
Core Values
Who We Are
We are an art business advisory firm facilitating & cultivating opportunities for artists of African descent to create, sustain & thrive. Offices in New York, London & Lagos.
What We Believe
To ensure all creatives of African descent can fully understand, manage, monetize and scale their artistic and cultural production. History Formally known as, Creative Milieu Consulting Group, the business was originally established in Atlanta in 2015, then moved to Brooklyn NYC in 2019 and began doing business as the new business name “Ilèkùn Wa” meaning “our door” in Yoruba. I chose this name to pay homage to my ancestral roots and love for the revered Yoruba royal palace sculptor, Olowe of Ise. Traditionally, the palace door (Ilèkùn aafin) was commissioned to represent narratives of the King’s rule and family from past to present narrated in a graphic novel-like set of wooden panels. The artist and institutions I work with are all storytellers and I found that the door summarizes the essence of our brand and philosophy.
What We Can Contribute
J. Olayinka Ojo
Founder & Managing Director of Ilèkùn Wa
Founder and Managing Director of Ilèkùn Wa (Our doors), an art business advisory firm, facilitating & cultivating opportunities for visual artists of African descent to create, sustain and thrive.
Over the last decade, J. Olayina has become a sought after arts and culture management consultant, working internationally in artist professional development, gallery management, and art fair operations. His collaborative work with minority emerging contemporary artists, art institutions, corporations, and collectors has carved a pathway of connectivity for creative professionals throughout the African Diaspora. Having worked with a number of black-owned, fine art galleries throughout the African Diaspora, J. Olayinka has forged an alliance of art galleries in North America, Europe, and Africa working uniformly to economically advance the artistic and cultural production of their communities.
In addition to working with independent artists and galleries as a consultant, J. Olayinka has worked with the U.S. Embassy in Dakar, Senegal as a Project Manager for the Cultural Affairs Office for which he co-curated 11 YALI Creatives from eight African countries in a group exhibition, titled Elsewhen, at the 2016 Dak’ART Biennale. He is also a 2018 Graduate Research Fellow at the National Council of Arts & Culture in Nigeria.
J. Olayinka holds a Bachelors in Public Policy from the Andrew Young School of Policy at Georgia State University and a Masters in Art Business from Sotheby's Institute of Art in New York. He currently serves on the board of both Black Art Futures Fund & Prizm Art Fair.