Upon walking into the Fine Arts Gallery of Elizabeth City State University, viewers were met with an array of vibrant colors. In his native Nigerian accent, the artist described the arousing story behind each piece; and each viewer walked out fulfilled, having learned something new, not just about painting, but about their lifestyle.

These are the ideals that the fine artist Tunde Afolayan, who just hosted the opening reception for a new series of paintings yesterday, strives for with every display of his artwork.

Submitted photo (ENLARGE)

New works by acclaimed painter Tunde Afolayan are on display now at the ECSU fine arts gallery, including this piece titled 'Procession.' Below: 'Jubilation.'

Submitted photo (ENLARGE)

"My intent is not just to explore a sense of beauty, but to evoke a positive aura and an understandable dialogue. If I have done that, then I have done my job," Afolayan says with confidence.

And as Afolayan intriguingly explains each of his paintings, it is evident that his job will be "done" after his new series of work has been on display to the public at ECSU.

The theme and the title of the artist's series is "Visual Rhythms," which seems to present itself consistently with the fluid style of each painting. The series will be on display in the Fine Arts Gallery through April 4.

Two pieces in particular that illustrate his theme are "Transition One" and "Stepping Out." "Transition One" captures a dancer exploding into mid-air, contorted into an almost unrealistic shape; an inspiration which Afolayan drew from the impossible jumps and movements of the performers in the Black Dance Theatre group that performed at ECSU.

Afolayan says that his painting, "Stepping Out," portrays the powerful movement of African dancers. The panoramic painting was conveyed so accurately that Afolayan says that he "fell in love with painting it."

Many of Afolayan's paintings stem from his home of Nigeria, including his work called "Ancestors," which exemplifies the traditional dance Africans perform to pay homage to their deceased ancestors; and "The Forces Within," which Afolayan drew from memories of the woman figures in his upbringing.

"My YeYe (grandmother) had so much power and really held the house together, like most women. This is the memory that I painted from because I wanted to celebrate the power that women have," says Afolayan.

Some of Afolayan's other paintings are created for political or educational means, such as "Celebration Three" which urges people to respect nature, and "Struggle" which portrays a sad face behind blood and tears from the uncertainty with the world today.

Afolayan says that his educational painting, "Wisdom," was created as the result of deteriorating human interaction due to technology.

In his paintings, Afolayan avoids a conformation to any specific style or medium, choosing the title of "creative individual" over "impressionist," despite many critics' attempts to give him a title him.

"I try to break the boundaries and stay away from the narrow confinements. I throw and drip paint, use my fingers as well as my brushes, and work with all different forms of mediums," says Afolayan.

Color, however, seems to be a consistent quality of his paintings, as he feels that it conveys positive emotion. And there is a deeper reason why color is so important to him; it is representative of his heritage as well.

"These paintings contain the vibrant colors of my culture. In Nigeria, people believe that the colors you wear represent who you are and what you will be. If you wear dull colors, you will be a dull person; but if you wear bright, vibrant colors, you will be happy and positive," says Afolayan.

Afolayan has been painting professionally since 1981, though he didn't discover his love of teaching until 1985. After instructing at colleges and universities in Nigeria, Georgia, and Mississippi, he moved to Elizabeth City six years ago to teach art appreciation at ECSU. And in each community along the way, Afolayan has implemented programs that involve the entire community in the creative arts through community murals or summer programs for the youth.

Just in the short time that Afolayan has lived in Elizabeth City, he has already created three murals, each of which take three-to-five weeks, with the help from volunteers in the community.

"I am passionate about community arts around the town because when there is constructive community engagement for the arts, it makes the community so much more vibrant," says Afolayan.

Afolayan says that he hopes to do much more with the community in the future. And though it may seem like a lot to take on with the job of a teacher, artist, community activist, husband, and parent, Afolayan says that he couldn't complain about a thing.

"It's a blessing being able to do what I love every day," says Afolayan.

For more information about Tunde Afolayan's new artwork, "Visual Rhythms," which will be on display through April 4, contact the Fine Arts Department at (252) 225-3347.