Chief Muraina Oyelami was born in Iragbiji, Nigeria, in 1940. A multifaceted creative force, he embodies dual mastery as both a renowned painter and accomplished performing artist in music and theatre. In 1964, at age 24, Oyelami became one of the original members of the legendary Oshogbo Art School, an experimental movement initiated by Professor Ulli Beier and his wife Georgina Beier that encouraged young artists to paint from the heart without formal constraints.

Described as a poetic painter with a romantic touch, Oyelami's works represent his experiences, folktales, and landscapes, drawing heavily from Yoruba culture. His paintings capture facial features, traditional markings, ceremonies, and festivals with distinctive composition and meaning. Before discovering painting, Oyelami was a founding member of the late Duro Ladipo Theatre Company, touring to the Berlin Festival of Art in 1964 and the Commonwealth Arts Festival in 1965.

He studied Technical Theatre at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, specializing in Theatre Design, and later taught traditional music there from 1975 to 1987. Oyelami composed and directed music for Wole Soyinka's "Death and the King's Horseman" at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre.

His work resides in prestigious collections including the Smithsonian's Museum of African Art, Studio Museum in Harlem, and Staatlichen Kunsthalle, Berlin. In 1987, he founded the Obatala Center for Creative Arts. On February 14, 1993, he was installed as Eesa of Iragbiji, where he continues to live and work.