Talut Kareem (b. 1994) is a contemporary artist based in Lagos, Nigeria. He received his National Diploma in Mass Communication at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, and subsequently pursued a B.A. in Visual Art from the University of Lagos. His practice is rooted in drawing and painting, with painting being his primary form of expression. 

Kareem creates richly detailed portraits by combining realistically rendered charcoal figures overlaid with bright colours and abstract patterns. By juxtaposing the monochrome of the charcoal with the colourful spherical shapes in the picture plane, he has developed a unique visual language, allowing him the freedom to explore figure composition, and further develop his narrative.

His practice centres around the transitory nature of our awareness, depicting the individual’s emotional and mental states – as well as larger patterns of social behaviour – while attempting to capture his own state of mind.

Kareem has been featured in exhibitions including Next of Kin where he was awarded a third winner prize, Conversations, Sublime, and his most recent group exhibition, Unusual Suspects at AAF. He also featured in the group exhibition Stop, listen! at CFHILL Gallery in Stockholm, Sweden, which explored Nigeria's contemporary figuration movement. In November 2021 Kareem was selected for Self-Addressed, organised by Kehinde Wiley and Jeffrey Deitch in Los Angeles. For this landmark exhibition, Wiley invited a selection of contemporary African artists to produce a self-portrait. Together these portraits presented a new exploration of identity, perception, and self-regard within the global stage. 

He has participated in artist residencies including the Rele Arts Foundation Young Contemporaries, 3 x 3 x 3 Artists in Residence, and the AAF Artist in Residence Program at the African Artists' Foundation in Lagos, Nigeria.

Kareem speaks of his practice: "After completing my education, I started working in the studio and drew inspiration from the people around me. Before starting to paint, I was drawing in black and white. I felt the need to put my feelings on paper, and I used drawing as a therapy to combat depression. The use of colour came out of the need to experiment. From this experiment came the spherical shapes. When I felt disconnected, I blurred out the faces of the subjects in my drawings. The technique I use depends on the mood I am in. The work is very personal, and I use it to reflect my own reality. "