Sarah Akinterinwa

Sarah Akinterinwa
Born1994 or 1995 (age 30–31)[1]
Kent, England, U.K.
OccupationsArtist and cartoonist
Years active2020–present
Known forOyin and Kojo (comic series)

Sarah Akinterinwa (1994/1995) is a British artist, illustrator, and cartoonist. She is best known for her comic series Oyin and Kojo. She is the first Black British woman to be a cartoonist for The New Yorker.

Career

Akinterinwa was born and raised in Kent, England to Nigerian immigrant parents.[2] She enjoyed drawing from childhood, and although she didn't pursue a career in art, she continued to draw as a hobby.[3]

She studied to be an educational mental health practitioner but left to work at a preschool owned by her mother.[1] However, the business closed after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020.[1] Then unemployed and home for social distancing restrictions, she created the single-panel comic Oyin and Kojo centered on the lives of a Black British couple, and posted them on her Instagram.[4][3] She said she was inspired to create the comic due to the lack of representations of Black British couples in the media.[5] An editor for The New Yorker saw her work online and invited her to be a contributor for the magasine.[3] Akinterinwa is the first Black British woman to be a cartoonist for The New Yorker.[4]

She has since become a full-time artist and illustrator.[3] Akinterinwa named Amanda Oleander and Issa Rae as two of her biggest influences.[3] Her work has appeared in The Los Angeles Times and The Guardian.[6] In 2022 her work was shown in an exhibition alongside the work of Mary Darly at the Cartoon Museum.[4] Also in 2022 she created the comic series Body Equality for the Wellcome Collection that focused on marginalised bodies.[2]

She published her debut book, an illustrated dating guide Why You'll Never Find the One: And Why It Doesn't Matter in February 2023 under Princeton Architectural Press.[7] She based the book on her personal experiences and those of her friends.[8]

Personal life

Akinterinwa resides in London.[4]

Bibliography

  • 2023. Why You'll Never Find the One: And Why It Doesn't Matter. Princeton Architectural Press, ISBN 9781797222530.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Sigodo, Melissa (2021-11-03). "'I was dumped and made redundant in a week so I started a successful business'". My London. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
  2. 1 2 Fullerton, Elizabeth. "Sarah Akinterinwa: 'I show people that everyday life is really quite funny'". Art Fund. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Talking to: New Yorker Cartoonist Sarah Akinterinwa". The Everyday. 2025-05-20. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Sarah Akinterinwa & Mary Darly: A Dialogue Exhibition at the Cartoon Museum hopes to spark women and girls to pursue creative careers and share their art with the world-Review". Abundant Art. 2022-09-02. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
  5. ↑ Broadway, Wayne (2022-02-07). "How Cartoonist Sarah Akinterinwa Made Pandemic Lemonade". Black Girl Nerds. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
  6. ↑ Fullerton, Elizabeth. "Sarah Akinterinwa: 'I show people that everyday life is really quite funny'". Art Fund. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
  7. ↑ Rodriguez, Isabel (2023-02-16). "Author Feature: Sarah Akinterinwa". Feminist. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
  8. ↑ jenmeredith1 (2023-03-17). "Illustrating & dating: Spell Meets Sarah Akinterinwa". Spell Magazine. Retrieved 2026-06-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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