A Cartography of Skin: The World-Building of Toyin Ojih Odutola Toyin Ojih Odutola, born in 1985 in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, is a contemporary visual artist whose work transcends the boundaries of portraiture and enters the realm of speculative fiction. Her vivid multimedia drawings and works on paper are not merely representations of individuals; they are meticulously constructed narratives woven into the very fabric of skin itself. Odutola’s journey began in Ife, a city steeped in Yoruba history and mythology—a birthplace that would profoundly shape her artistic vision. In 1990, she moved with he…