I am Peju Layiwola, an artist and teacher with a wealth of experience teaching and working with diverse media in the arts. I started my teaching career in 1991 at the University of Benin. After four years of teaching, I joined the University of Lagos (2002-). Twenty-five years of teaching has gone faster than expected, but it has been a beautiful journey of imparting knowledge and skills. I have served as a guest lecturer and visiting professor in several Universities/Institutions, including Rhodes Island School of Design (RISD), Providence, 2019; Millsaps College, Jackson, Mississippi, USA, 2017; University of Arkansas, 2020 and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA in 2008

I have also done extensive work in local communities through a nonprofit organization, the Women and Youth Art Foundation (Wy Art), which I founded in 1994. These innovative and popular instructional DVDs on arts and crafts have been a great resource for learners since 1998.

 
I am a recipient of several awards and recognitions: Grant of the African Multiple Cluster of Excellence, University of Bayreuth, Germany, 2020; Tyson Scholar at the Crystal Bridges Museum, Bentonville, USA (2019): Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the University of Arkansas (2019-2020) and 2020 Ambassador of Goodwill Award from the State of Arkansas. I was awarded the prestigious Terra Foundation grant for American Art in 2018, the CAA-Getty Alumni grant (2018), and nominated to the US International Leadership Programme (IVLP) in 2011. This nonprofit partnered with the Bronx Museum of the Arts on the Hilary Clinton US State Department SmARTpower program in 2012; This intervention in teaching art earned the US Lagos State Consulate Grant 2017 and, subsequently, the US Alumni Exchange Award 2018.