About I.B.Bayo
Born in Osogbo, Nigeria, the ninth generation of a traditional weaving family, Bayo [pronounced Bio] learned his trade at an early age from generations of cloth artisans. He learned to weave and dye from his mother, and to sew from his father who made traditional clothing for Nigerian royalty. Bayo began sewing at age five and remembers sitting on his dad’s lap at the sewing machine before his leg could reach the pedal. Growing up, he also learned to sell cotton, dye yarn, iron and fold, do beading and hand-embroidery. Bayo attended the Niké Center for Art and Culture in Osogbo, Nigeria where he studied batik cloth dying, quilt making, reverse appliqué, and clothing design. Niké is an international treasure for her artwork and her school dedicated to preserving traditional Yoruba art forms.
In 1995, Bayo joined a group of artists from the center known as, The Children of Osun, for a U.S. tour. He made their costumes and was composer, drummer and lead singer. They performed ancestral dance dramas and exhibited their artwork at diverse venues across the nation. Now based in Santa Cruz, California, Bayo adapts his reverse appliqué and quilting techniques to his contemporary fashion and tailoring practice. He combines the hand-woven, hand-dyed, and embroidered fabrics made by his family in Nigeria with other fabrics, new and upcycled, to create the uniquely designed clothing in his I.B.Bayo line. Bayo also teaches Nigerian Batik and Reverse Appliqué workshops, and gives presentations on his family history, showing clothing that spans from past generations to modern creations.
Skills and Competencies: fashion design, sewing garment start to finish, bridal design, advanced sewing, general alterations, custom fittings, sewing with delicate fabric, beading, hand-embroidery, textile design.
Education & Related Experience
Niké Center for Art and Culture 1990 – 1995
Oshogbo, Nigeria
Studied batik cloth design and dying, quilt making, reverse appliqué, wood carving, and painting.
The Children of Osun 1995 – 1997
Bayo joined a group of artists from the Niké Center known as, The Children of Oshun, for a U.S. tour. They performed traditional dance dramas relating stories of Yoruba culture in twenty states throughout the country. Bayo performed as a drummer and singer. He also sewed all their costumes as the troupe’s tailor. While touring, Bayo taught workshops on Nigerian reverse appliqué.
Rachel Clark, Folk Artist 1998 – 2001
Watsonville, California
Rachel Clark is a contemporary folk artist who lectures internationally on her unique style of wearable art. Bayo studied western clothing design with Rachel who also inspired the whimsical linings he uses.
Exhibitions & Awards
San Francisco, California
Red Haute Creative Fashion Show 2017, 2018, 2019
San Jose, California
Pivot: The Art of Fashion, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Santa Cruz, California
Gail Rich Awards Honoree, 2019
Santa Cruz, California
Best Designer Collection, 2019
San Francisco Fashion Community Week
Fashion Week Lake Charles, 2018
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Museum of Art and History: Uncommon Threads 2015
Santa Cruz, California
Artwear Unlimited 2013
Highland Park, Illinois
Fashion & Folklore 2013
Santa Cruz, California
FashionArt Santa Cruz, 2012
Santa Cruz, California
North Charleston Arts Festival 5th Annual Art Quilt Exhibition 2011
North Charleston, South Carolina
Road to California 2011
Ontario, California
Pacific International Quilt Festival 2010
Santa Clara, California
Smithsonian Institute Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage 2009
Washington, DC
Textile from the African Diaspora 2009
Kansas City, Missouri
Santa Cruz Open Studios Art Tour 2004 – 2020
Santa Cruz, California
Africa Music & Arts Festival Fashion Show 2009
Big Sur Spirit Garden
Big Sur, California
First Place Wearable Art Competition, 2007
Best Use of Embellishment and Viewers Choice
Pacific International Quilt Festival XVI
Santa Clara, California
Third Place Jacket, Coat or Vest Wearable Art Competition, 2006
Pacific International Quilt Festival XV
Santa Clara, California
Award recipient “Zip It” Artwear Celebrated, 2005
Studio Channel Islands Art Center
Camarillo, California
Featured Artist Award, Road to California 2002
Marin, California
Pacific International Quilt Festival XVI 2007
Wearable Art Competition – Jacket, Coat or Vest
First Place “Reincarnation”
Best Use of Embellishment and Viewers Choice “Vibration”
Power Dressing Fashion Show 2007
Museum of International Folk Art
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Pacific International Quilt Festival XV 2006
Wearable Art Competition – Third Place
Jacket, Coat or Vest
Santa Clara, California
Artwear Celebrated 2005
Studio Channel Islands Art Center
Camarillo, California
Award recipient for Zip It coat
Quilts: The New Legacy 2005
Pajaro Valley Quilt Association 27th Annual Quilt & Wearable Art Show Watsonville, California
Museum of International Folk Art 2004
Santa Fe, New Mexico
World of Wearable Art 2002
Nelson, New Zealand
Road to California 2002
Marin, California
Featured Artist Award
High Fashion from the African Diaspora 2002
Oakland Museum of California
Ibilé Indigo House 2001
St. Helena Island, South Carolina
University of New Mexico 1998
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Museum of Art and History: Nigerian Handwoven and Traditional Looms 1997
Santa Cruz, California
African Heritage Gallery 1996
Washington, DC
Pajaro Valley Art Gallery 1995
Watsonville, California