He is a social innovator who adapts art to medicine. Using virtual reality, he helps enhance patients' moods to accelerate healing. He has received several awards and honors for his impact on the arts in the health field.

Kunle Adewale (photo) is a Nigerian social entrepreneur and visual artist. He graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University with a Bachelor's degree in Fine and Applied Arts in 2010. He also studied Civic Leadership at Tulane University, New Orleans in 2015. To gain arts in healthcare skills he also participated in related professional courses such as Arts in Health for Helping Professionals in Charlotte, Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida, and Arts in Health Research Intensive, organized by the Center for Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida in collaboration with University College London.

 In 2013, he founded the social startup Tender Arts Nigeria, which he is leading as the CEO. Tender Arts Nigeria is a non-profit organization that aims to positively impact children, youth, and adults with a focus on therapeutic arts, arts education, talent development, community building, and civic engagement.

In 2016, Kunle Adewale also launched Arts in Medicine Projects, which facilitate healing through art. The program uses virtual reality to take patients on a journey, allowing them to visit their past (for elderly dementia patients), countries such as Canada, India, and the United States, among others. Patients can also participate in guided dance and meditation sessions and even swim with dolphins if they like. This process stimulates their minds, improving their mood and speeding the recovery process.

"What we noticed from our outreaches is that the opportunity for patients to walk around and see the sun is a deeply cherished experience. Because when you’re trapped within the four walls of a hospital where all you’re used to is cries, it affects your mood and recovery process," the social entrepreneur told TechCabal in February 2023.

His programs have already reached over 15,000 beneficiaries in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and the U.S. In 2021, he founded the first Mental Health Fellowship in Nigeria.

In 2014, he was nominated for the Global Teacher Prize by the Varkey Foundation (UK). He was the Nigerian recipient of the 2016 Commonwealth Youth Worker Awards (UK) and was nominated for the JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons of Nigeria program in 2018. In 2019, then Cincinnati mayor John Cranley declared Kunle Adewale Day (August 2) to celebrate his impact on the global arts in the healthcare field.

Melchior Koba