“What’s up Next?” is a series of articles and interviews meant to better showcase the trajectories of our Next Talents.
We are meeting the 2025-2026 generation in two key moments: at the start of their trajectory – focussing on finding out more about the artists and what they expect from the program, and at the end of their course, discussing the things they picked up on the way.
With this first interview we are introducing you to animator Ayoola Olagunju.
Ayoola Tubosun Olagunju is a passionate artist with a deep rooted love for art and animation.
We asked Ayoola to tell us a bit more about himself. “I studied law for 6 years and practiced for a year before pivoting into the art and animation world fully. Since then I have worked on multiple projects ranging from commercials to films.
I moved to the Netherlands in 2022 to study a Master in Animation at St.Joost School of Arts and Design in S’Hertogenbosch, which I graduated from in 2023. Since then I’ve been a freelancer based in the Netherlands, working on short films and trying to make mine as well.
When it came to sharing his thoughts on a project close to his heart, Ayoola mentioned: “The project I feel connected to the most is the Red vs Blue project I started for social media. It marked a pivotal point for me, skill wise, because I put everything I have learnt so far as an animator into the project. Safe to say it did really well on social media.”
We were also curious what Ayoola thinks distinguishes him from other creators: “I would like to think my work ethic and love for the craft makes me stand out a bit. I have been drawing since primary school so my obsession to get better at my craft keeps growing as I grow older. As stated, I love animation and I love dynamic movements in animated form. Therefore, any chance I get to improve my skill as an animator is relevant to me.”
Pinpointing some of the artists influencing his work, goes without hesitation for Ayoola: “I would say two filmmakers that influenced my way of creating are Hayao Miyazaki and Makoto Shinkai. I remember binging all their movies when I started learning about animation and studying the animations frame by frame to understand it better.”
We were curious to learn how Ayoola found out about Next Talent Program. “Some of my friends were lucky enough to be selected in the past couple of years and they all had positive things to say about the program. So I saw it as an opportunity to help with my business and to get better at my craft.
Through the program, I hope to be able to understand the industry in the Netherlands better. I also hope that Next Talent trajectory will be a step closer to making my own short film.”
We also wanted to know who might be a dream mentor for Ayoola. “This last question is quite tough because I look up to so many people and admire their work. But if I had to pick one, it would be Genndy Tartakovski. I would like to understand how he was able to create so many projects that had an influence on so many people growing up. Projects ranging from Dexter’s Laboratory to Samurai Jack. Even his most recent project, Primal has left a mark on the animation industry and in people’s hearts and minds.”
Understandable choice given Ayoola’s work also tends to leave a strong mark upon viewers. We are very curious and excited to see what the trajectory will bring to his unique voice and daring style!