David Otaru (b.1991) is a self-taught artist from Edo state, Nigeria. In 2020 Otaru participated in the 2020 edition of Rele Arts Foundation’s Young Contemporaries Bootcamp and was selected in 2021 as part of the Rele Arts Foundation Young Contemporaries. He held his first solo exhibition Party Series in Rele Gallery, Los Angeles in 2021. Select group exhibitions include Gentle Distractions (2022), Août gallery, Beirut, and It’s a Wrap (2021), Rele Gallery, Lagos.
David Otaru is billed to have his museum debut in 2023. He holds a degree in English and Literature Education from the University of Benin, Nigeria. He lives and works in Lagos.
Combining several mediums, David Otaru’s work depicts dynamic, yet recognisable scenes populated with figures caught in random moments of their daily lives. His work incorporates metaphors and familiar imagery in telling multi-layered stories of everyday life, socio-economic conditions and societal structures. Exploring the negative image in his work, Otaru considers the growing relationship between art and technology in contemporary society.