About

Tumi Adeleye is a Nigerian-American visual storyteller born in Brooklyn, New York and raised between the United States and Lagos, Nigeria. The drastic shift in her surroundings sparked a desire to document and share the world around her, first through photography and eventually through a broader artistic practice.

Over time, photography became a way for Tumi to express emotions and experiences that words often couldn't capture. Through her work, she explores the cultures that shaped her from the perspective of a Black woman raised between America and Nigeria. Her practice is inspired by memories of growing up in Brooklyn in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as well as her transition to Lagos at a young age.

While photography remains a foundation of her work, her practice has expanded into sculpture and fiber-based works inspired by hair, adornment, and Nigerian textiles. Drawing from personal memories and cultural traditions, she explores the labor, beauty, care, and connection embedded within the things that shape us. Across mediums, her work celebrates Black beauty, love, softness, and the stories carried through everyday rituals.