Prince Twins Seven-Seven was born Taiwo Olaniyi Oyewale-Toyeje Oyelale Osuntoki in 1944 in Ijara, Nigeria. The sole survivor of seven successive sets of twins born to his mother, he renamed himself Ibeji Meje-Meje, meaning "Twins Seven-Seven." As a member of Yoruba royal lineage, he later assumed the title of prince.

Before discovering visual art, Twins worked as an itinerant singer and dancer. In 1964, he walked into the Mbari Mbayo art workshops led by Georgina and Ulli Beier in Oshogbo, taking to painting immediately and becoming one of the movement's stars. While modernist in style, his work drew deeply from Yoruba religious and historical traditions, creating a personal cosmology filled with myths and stories.

Twins achieved remarkable international acclaim, exhibiting at prestigious institutions including the Pompidou Center, Museum of Modern Art in New York, Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art, and Philadelphia Museum of Art. He was also a prominent bandleader, teacher, dancer, actor, and spokesman for Yoruba culture, performing throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the United States.

In 2005, UNESCO named him Artist for Peace, with the award presented by Director-General Koichiro Matsuura in a ceremony attended by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. His autobiography, A Dreaming Life, was published in 1999. Twins Seven-Seven died in 2011, leaving an enduring legacy in African contemporary art.