We love a good glow-up story. Artist Dunnie Onasanya, also known as Miss Dunnie O, was a social media star known for her enviable client list, fairytale marriage, and successful swimwear brand.
But, even influencers have their challenges, and soon enough, her relationship ended in divorce, and she was forced to re-evaluate what she wanted that new life to look like.
In an interview with XO Nicole, the Nigerian-American artist sat down and shared a few details about the end of her marriage, rediscovering her love of art, and the good fortune she has experienced since she took the initiative to change her life for the better.
As Dunnie reflected on her previous marriage, she expressed what many women have after they go through a divorce – knowing that something is not right but staying in the marriage because of the family’s interest vs. her own. In her case, being widely known on social media made the reluctance to leave even harder to surmount.
“I feel like a lot of women will be able to relate in the sense that a lot of women stay in situations because they are trying to keep their families together, even though they probably know deep down inside this is not healthy,” Dunnie said.
“Our wedding was all over the Internet, and you kind of feel that obligation to your followers or to your family. It’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t want to let people down or make people upset,’” she continued.
Her 2015 wedding was profiled in Essence.
After her marriage ended in 2018, Dunnie went back to her hometown, Washington, D.C., with her child and many decisions to make. While talking to her mother about her options, she said she really wanted to pursue art. Art was something that she had loved from childhood but never thought it was a career-worthy ambition.
Although she was tenuous about the idea and had mentally formulated a “just-in-case” plan to return to school, embracing her first love paid off.
“Within my first year, I got invited to exhibit in Toronto as an international artist for a big festival out there. Then I got commissioned to do a few different projects in my area and in Canada, too,” Dunnie recalled.
Miss Dunnie is now a profitable artist who has not only acquired an enviable artist-in-residence position but has been invited to teach and host talks about the art industry. She is able to sell her small works at a $500 minimum up to $11,000 for specialty pieces. Despite the pandemic, she has prospered. On a personal note, she has a new baby and is basking in the glow of an anonymous new bae.
Miss Dunnie acknowledged that consistently working on her craft was key and said that spiritual nurturing through self-care, prayer, and meditation helped her get in line with her purpose as an artist. Despite divorce, relationship trauma, and shame, she has proven that a woman can start over.
