Ebenezer Samuel Akinola (born 1968 in Ibadan, Nigeria) is a Nigerian artist and curator whose practice spans portraiture, figurative painting, and abstract African art.His work is deeply rooted in the celebration of Black culture and identity, while at the same time questioning and challenging dominant narratives connected to race, gender, beauty standards, cultural identity, and contemporary African politics and spirituality. This dual approach makes his practice both celebratory and critical.

Akinola is particularly known for his portrait and figurative studies, where he combines realistic depiction with abstract elements, creating layered compositions that emphasize both individuality and collective identity. His attention to detail often highlights facial expression, texture, and symbolic clothing. A key feature of his artistic language is the incorporation of traditional African cultural elements. He frequently references garments and accessories such as turbans from Northern Nigeria and wrappers from Southern Nigeria, using clothing as a marker of identity, geography, and cultural heritage.

His work is also strongly connected to ideas of community, tradition, and continuity, while at the same time reflecting on the experience of migration and cultural displacement, which appear as recurring themes across his practice. Through this combination of figurative depth and cultural symbolism, Akinola constructs a visual language that bridges traditional African values and contemporary global discourse, positioning his work within both local and international conversations on identity and representation.