Destinie Adélakun

Destinie Adélakun is an award-winning contemporary Canadian multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker with roots in Nigeria and South India. She has demonstrated her work with esteemed institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum, Toronto History Museums, Nuit Blanche (Toronto), and SECCA Contemporary Gallery of North Carolina. She is the upcoming artist in residence at the Andrew Freedman House in the Bronx, NY, having previously been an artist in residence at the City of Toronto Cultural Arts Office, Toronto, Canada, and Nike Arts Gallery in Lagos, Nigeria.

As a storyteller and activist, Destinie delves into the rich narratives of the African and Caribbean diaspora, bringing collective stories to life through her work. Her artistic repertoire includes photography, film, paintings, textiles, and sculpture, all exploring themes rooted in matriarchal rule and pre-colonial African and South-Asian history, mythology, and spirituality. Challenging the European influence on Black culture, Destinie aims to empower the diaspora by narrating West African and South Asian folklore, history, and mythology.

She celebrates the women of the African diaspora through her creative direction, incorporating elements of adornment that reflect the essence of her work. With a focus on social justice, empowerment, identity, ancestry, and belonging, Destinie has worked as a writer-director and producer for the past five years. She was honored with the Canadian Women Artist of the Year Award by the New York Foundation for the Arts in 2020 and the Breakthrough Artist Award by the Toronto Arts Foundation in 2024.

Canadian Women Artist Award Recipient 2020 New York Foundations for the Arts

Breakthrough Artist Award Recipient 2024 Toronto Arts Foundation