Idris Olabode

About the Artist

Short Bio

Idris Olabode Opeyemi is a Lagos-based ceramic artist and the founder of Clay of Lagos. He uses clay as a tool for mental health, self-awareness, and personal reflection. His work draws from Yoruba culture and everyday life, using wheel-thrown pieces to open conversations about presence, emotion, and healing. Through his art and workshops, he offers a space where people can slow down, feel safe, and reconnect with themselves.

Artist Statement

"My work gives that silence a form. I want people to pause when they see it. To feel seen. To feel something real."

I use clay to challenge how we think, feel, and move through the world. There's too much noise. Too many distractions. Most people carry pain they don't talk about. I make pieces that ask questions about presence, memory, and emotion — the kind of questions we avoid in daily life.

Clay helps me slow down, and I hope it helps others do the same. This is more than just pottery for me. It's about honesty. It's about using your hands to speak when your mouth can't. It's about creating something still in a moving world.

I started Clay of Lagos to share this way of working. Not just to make objects, but to hold space — for healing, for thought, for quiet courage. This is what I offer. Clay as care. Clay as truth.