In an age where digital art is often synonymous with high-end tablets and advanced software, Nigerian artist Pattydrewit is proving that creativity knows no limits — not even the size of a phone screen. Known for his bold, expressive illustrations and unmistakable visual style, Patty has carved a space for himself in the vibrant world of Afrocentric digital art. From working with Nigerian music heavyweights like Rema and Falz to building a loyal online following, his journey is as unconventional as it is inspiring. What sets Patty apart isn’t just his raw talent, but his ability to transform simple tools into powerful expressions of culture, identity, and emotion. In this conversation, we dive into the mind of the artist who’s reshaping the digital art scene—one swipe at a time. We sat down with Patty and had an in-depth conversation about his journey as an artist.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Olagunju Oladayo, and I’m known as Patty. I’m an artist, designer. I do both digital and traditional art and I’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember. But I started doing this professionally in 2021, after COVID-19.

Who were some of your earliest influences? And how did they shape your style?

Shout-out to my parents. When they discovered that I was talented as an artist, they supported me with as many resources as they could. I remember my dad always got me super strikers, comic books, the New Yorkers, mostly to replicate the art because I loved replicating anything I saw back then. And that was where I began shaping up my skills. I also had an uncle that could draw, and although he was not a professional artist, he’d guide me and teach me the things I needed to know. That aside, when I started doing this, in 2021, the first person to actually acknowledge my artwork was Rema. I was trying a new style that I called Sad Boy Ink. I made some artworks in this style, and the first artist I drew was Rema. I randomly made the drawings on the same night Raves and Roses (Rema’s album) dropped. I made the artworks at night, while listening to the album and then, I posted them in the morning. While in class on that day, people started to notify me about Rema not only retweeting my artwork, but also making it his Instagram profile picture. I had listed the drawings as NFTs, and Rema texted me asking that I keep one of them for him to purchase. A month later, he actually bought it, and shared a screenshot proof of his purchase with me. He had kept to his promise. I had other artists giving me kudos for my work, thanks to Rema’s influence. I have stuck to that style ever since.

What inspired your portrait of Tems as the Monalisa?

So, basically, I was trying to recreate the Mona Lisa paintings. I wanted to make it as indigenous as possible. Seeing that I also love to draw artists, because of how much I love music – it inspires me and keeps my mind calm while I work – I thought of the perfect person to use as my muse for my indigenous Monalisa painting and Tems came to mind. I made the background of the drawing replicate Lagos, and instead of calling it Monalisa, I titled it Temilade.

What would you say sets your work apart from others?

One thing about my art is, I’m very heavy on storytelling and detail. Every artwork I make passes across a message and even in the little-est detail, there’s so much intentionality. From the review I’ve gotten about my art, people tend to talk about the little details that I add. I don’t think too much about it but everything I do in every artwork is very intentional. It could be a writing somewhere on the painting, and it’s me trying to pass across a message.

In what ways would you say your art has evolved?

When I started, I used a traditional medium. Then I made use of colored pens to paint. I remember that I would do the drawings with colored pens, and then take them to Photoshop to add in backgrounds and enhance my work. I got tired of doing that after a while, and when I saw other people were doing digital artwork, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. That was when I picked it up, and slowly began my switch to digital art. I didn’t even bother spending money on materials like an iPad, or other helpful tools because it wasn’t that deep for me when I started, I was just playing around with digital art on my phone. The first artwork I made using digital art was Sza’s album cover, SOS. The outcome was not bad for a first time trial. It grew my interest and I focused on perfecting this style and making it my own, thinking that I would end up getting bored of it and picking up the next best thing. I would look at the works of artists I admire and try to replicate the level of perfection they had achieved with their art. The reality was, they had the proper tools and resources needed to make their work easy, and all I had was my phone. I challenged myself regardless to reach that peak level, using my very limited resources, and I have been doing that for the past three years. I have worked with my phone to the point where I prefer to use it over an actual iPad or computer, because my phone allows me to work on the go. Like, with the album cover I made for Falz. When he’d reach out to me at different times to make changes to the project, I could easily whip out my phone and do it with no hassle, instead of waiting to get home and use a computer. People find it unbelievable when they see my artwork now, and I tell them it was made using just my phone. Which is quite understandable, seeing all the progress I have made, and how quality my work is. I think I have gotten to that phase of my life where I have proven to myself that one does not necessarily need a lot of resources to create something good. When I look at my artworks from before, compared to now, I see tremendous growth, even though I use the same tool I have always used.

Which collaboration or project has had the biggest impact on your career?

I think it has to be my project with either Rema or Mavins, because right after the rema spotlight I was commissioned to do cover projects for DJ Big N, Oxlade, and for Ayra Starr. I have had several collaborations – even with Choc City – that have skyrocketed my career, thanks to his acknowledgement of my work. Anything I do with Rema, has more spotlight. HEIS, for a reason.

Are there any consistent themes or elements that run through your work?

People say that my artworks actually have a look, I think with realism and detail. Sometimes, when I create a project or do a collaboration with someone, I do not comment on it when it drops, just to see whether anyone recognizes my work. Then I get messages from people acknowledging my work and saying that they knew Patty drew it the minute they saw the artwork. I did the same with Falz’s album cover. I intentionally said nothing the morning it dropped, cause I was waiting to see the reactions from my guys. When Falz posted, he tagged me on his IG but not on his Twitter post, but people on Twitter kept commenting that I drew it, because they recognized my work. They kept on asking why Falz did not tag me. That made me realize that people actually do know my art when they see it. One thing I know for sure is, the detailing, the realism, and the intentionality, is what makes people recognize my work when they see it.

Do your personal experiences have any impact on your work?

I hadn’t been to Lagos in almost a decade when I visited back in 2023. I remember telling my friend that I felt like I was running low on oxygen because in the first 24 hours of my visit, I could not breathe properly as everywhere felt so congested. I remember that when I arrived, one of the agberos (touts), tried to hail me so that I would give them money. When I refused to, he angrily tapped my chest and I remember thinking, “Why is this city so congested?” “Why is there so much chaos?” There were people running to cross the road, some people were fighting, danfo drivers were arguing with each other, there were people driving anyhow, everybody was rushing somewhere. It was so chaotic, and if you weren’t careful you could get hit by a car. When I finally arrived at my destination, my thoughts were filled with imaginations of a futuristic Lagos. I kept imagining what Lagos would be like in 2050, and how I could implement that in my art. It was quite experimental for me, seeing that I was new in Lagos and did not completely understand how things worked yet. I went out often to observe the way of life, to draw inspiration from the day-to-day life of Lagosians that I could then use to create something. I challenged myself to do not just a single project, but a collection of artworks depicting a futuristic Lagos. I ended up creating six artworks, in a series. One of which featured an agbero counting money in the sky. Another depicted an NURTW guy, fighting a cyborg agbero. Each of them were drawn in different locations, depicting different Lagos hustles and experiences. When I posted this collection, people were really drawn to them because they could relate to the day-to-day experiences that my art was showcasing in this futuristic project. I ended up relocating to Lagos.

What is one challenging thing you’ve overcome as an artist?

A major challenge for me would be the medium I use for my work. Working with my phone started as a fun thing, and then I began to get commissions, which can be overwhelming when your work tool is a mobile phone. I mean, there were many important details in Falz’s album cover, and I used my phone to create all of that. I know I could always use other mediums to make the job easier, but I kind of got used to using my phone and now it is both my biggest opp and my most comfortable tool for drawing. I also have to overcome creative blocks sometimes. Something I do to get my inspiration back though is, taking a break. I take some time to do fun things that I do not often do, like going out to see movies, watch anime, and anything else asides creating until I feel my spark coming back again. I got the idea to draw a cyborg agbero from a Spiderman animation, and I recently drew Rema as a Titan with inspiration that I got from watching Attack on Titan.

What is one thing you have learned about yourself through your art?

I never really saw myself as a creative person. I mean, I knew I could draw, but that was it. Some people see me as a genius, but I do not see myself as one. For some reason, I have just never seen myself as a creative person, talk more of a genius. It is only recently that I have begun to believe that I might actually be that guy, and that is thanks to my art and the acceptance that it has received.

If you had to create a masterpiece in 10 minutes, what would you draw?

Just give me a Rema reference, and I’m good. I feel like I have drawn Rema so much, to the point where I almost did not post the Titan drawing of him that I did. Yet, he’s one person whose branding I find to be easily relatable. If you gave me his picture, or anything about him as a reference, there’s no limit to what I could create. Even in ten minutes. He is practically my muse, at this point.

Do you advise fresh Nigerian creatives to have a side hustle?

I would say you should have a side hustle, like something in Agriculture or livestock, so that you can fund your passion with your business. You might not get commissions immediately, or even consistently, and you need to sustain yourself while you push your art. So, invest in other things.