Mariam Oladepo-Ajagbe is a Nigerian-American textile designer, researcher, and educator completing an MFA in Textile Design at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (expected 2026), where she also teaches foundational studio courses. Her practice integrates traditional African textile techniques - adire, tie-dye, batik - with digital surface design tools, positioned under the creative identity "Contemporary African Vibes." Prior to her MFA, she served as Creative Director at Amiora Fashion Hub in Nigeria (2019-2023). She held a Special Projects Coordinator internship at the Surface Design Association in 2025.

Contemporary surface design rooted in African cultural heritage and traditional craft techniques. Instagram bio describes the identity as "Contemporary African Vibes" - a design positioning that bridges traditional Nigerian textile culture with a modern surface design sensibility. The portfolio features bold, pattern-rich compositions consistent with a heritage-informed, textile-led aesthetic.

Traditional textile techniques: adire, tie-dye, and batik - trained at Nike Centre for Art & Culture, Nigeria (2017). Weaving, embroidery, and garment construction also documented. Digital tools include Canva, Figma, and Adobe Creative Suite (confirmed through Surface Design Association internship). Practice integrates traditional hand-craft methods with digital surface design workflows.

Academic, exhibition, and emerging commercial contexts. Juried and curated exhibitions in the US, Switzerland, UAE, and Nigeria (2023-2025). Womenswear is listed as a category. No specific commercial licensing clients are documented; practice is currently research- and academia-led.

BSc in Home Science and Management, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Nigeria (2018). Post Graduate Diploma in Education, National Teachers Institute, Nigeria (2022). MFA in Textile Design, SIUE (expected 2026). Prior roles: Creative Director at Amiora Fashion Hub Nigeria (2019-2023); Clothing and Textile Facilitator, Oyo State Teaching Service Commission Nigeria (2021-2023); Graduate Researcher at SIUE (2023-2024); Graduate Intern and Museum Researcher at Missouri Botanical Garden (2024). Internships at Nike Centre for Art & Culture (adire/batik/tie-dye) and A.Y Couture, Nigeria (2017). Her ongoing MFA thesis - "Pattern as Archive: Exploring Pattern Design as Heritage, Healing, and Reclamation medium" - anchors her practice in cultural theory. Presented at the European Conference on Arts & Humanities, University College London (July 2025).

The portfolio features bold, culturally grounded surface designs. The practice spans hand-craft textile traditions and digital surface design, with scholarly research framing pattern as a medium for heritage preservation and cultural reclamation. Work is research-led, with published papers on smart textiles, traditional/digital integration, and Islamic artistic expression.