In Branded by Branding, Nigerian artist Fola Adeleke presents a visually arresting body of work that interrogates the entanglement between global fashion corporations and African identity. Through a series of stylized photographic portraits, Adeleke places Nigerian models at the center of a striking visual metaphor: their bodies are marked by the logos of brands such as Nike, Adidas, and The North Face—symbols that dominate contemporary global fashion culture.
At first glance, the images evoke the aesthetics of high-fashion editorials: confident poses, dramatic lighting, and a polished visual language that echoes the advertising campaigns of the very companies being referenced. Yet a closer look reveals a more unsettling dimension. The brand logos appear not merely worn but imprinted, as though inscribed directly onto the skin. What initially reads as affiliation gradually begins to resemble ownership.
The project asks viewers to confront the cultural and psychological implications of global branding in a rapidly interconnected world.
Branding, Identity, and the Global Fashion Economy
In many African cities, global fashion brands have become powerful markers of aspiration, belonging, and modern identity. Streetwear culture—driven by sneakers, logos, and recognizable silhouettes—has created a shared visual vocabulary that connects Lagos, London, New York, and Johannesburg.
But Branded by Branding complicates this narrative.
Adeleke situates the African body at the center of a critical question: Who is shaping whom? While multinational corporations expand aggressively into African markets, they often rely heavily on the aesthetics of urban African culture—music, street style, language, and attitude—to build authenticity and relevance.
African culture becomes both inspiration and infrastructure for global fashion narratives.
Yet the economic and symbolic power remains largely concentrated within Western institutions. By visually “branding” the bodies of his models, Adeleke suggests that the relationship between global corporations and African consumers may not be entirely reciprocal. Instead, the work proposes a dynamic where identity itself becomes a surface upon which corporate influence is inscribed.
The Body as Canvas
In Adeleke’s series, the models appear both empowered and vulnerable. Their posture communicates agency and pride, yet the markings on their bodies introduce an unsettling tension. Logos—symbols typically associated with status and belonging—are transformed into visual scars.
This duality lies at the heart of the project.
Fashion is often experienced as a form of self-expression, but Adeleke pushes the concept to its most literal extreme. The logos are no longer accessories or garments; they have become marks of identity.
What begins as style becomes imprint.
What feels like allegiance becomes inscription.
The body, in this context, becomes a site where global capital, cultural aspiration, and identity politics intersect.
Cultural Feedback Loops
The project also speaks to a broader phenomenon in contemporary fashion: the cyclical flow of cultural influence between Africa and the West.
From Afrobeats aesthetics influencing global pop culture to African street style shaping international fashion trends, the continent has become a powerful cultural engine. Designers, stylists, and musicians across Africa contribute significantly to the global visual economy.
Yet Adeleke’s work asks whether this influence is recognized, compensated, or simply absorbed into multinational branding strategies.
By marking his subjects with globally recognized logos, the artist visualizes a feedback loop in which African culture fuels global brands, while those same brands become symbols of identity for the communities that inspired them.
Reconsidering the Logos We Wear
Ultimately, Branded by Branding functions as a provocation rather than a conclusion. The work does not condemn fashion or brand culture outright. Instead, it asks viewers to reconsider the meanings attached to the logos that circulate so freely through everyday life.
In a world where clothing increasingly operates as a language of belonging, aspiration, and status, Adeleke’s project invites reflection on the invisible structures embedded within that language.
What does it mean to wear a brand?
Where does admiration end and ownership begin?
And in a global fashion economy built on cultural exchange, who ultimately holds the power to define identity?
Through its striking imagery and conceptual clarity, Branded by Branding positions the African body not as a passive consumer surface but as a site of inquiry—one that forces viewers to confront the complex relationship between culture, capital, and representation in contemporary fashion.
