“I hope my work touches my audience,
makes people think by seeing into the
layers of colours and lines, and engage
with my work on a psychological level”
I am inspired by Professor Ben Enwonwu, Afi Ekong,
William Blake, Nkiru Uwechia-Nzegwu and Obiora
Udechukwu
How would you describe your style?
I would describe my style of work as ‘Contemporary
Abstract’/Contemporary Nigerian Art, rooted in “Uli
Art”; from the Igbo Ethnic Group of Nigeria, to which I
belong. It is a style that is continuously evolving, as the
lines, patterns and hues are emotive, derived directly
from my environment.
Where do you get your inspiration when you
sit down to create?
I tend to be totally immersed in my immediate
environment, with a strong bias towards things
that affect women – femininity, fertility, exuberance,
wonder at nature – all these generally form the
nucleus of my inspiration. I often imagine events,
places, people, thoughts and emotions as patterns,
lines and colours, basically breaking down things to
‘simple’ planes, splashes of colour and ideographs
that may be open to multiple interpretations. I have to
have a suitable soundtrack as well, immersing myself
in selected jazz and rock music, the likes of Weather
Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Led Zeppelin, Genesis
and the like.
What are you currently working on?
I am trying my hand out on a piece of ‘Conceptual Art’;
this has been a couple of years in the making. I hope
to eventually complete it before the end of this year.
My inspiration comes from “Installations” – the ways
in which traders display their wares to make them
attractive to buyers. These are all around us but are oft
times regarded as novel ideas in contemporary art.
“Performance Art”... the colours and costumes, the
prescribed movements… Traditional rituals and
performances are their origins.
What do you have in store for the next twelve
months?
Juggling my day job and my art... and leaning more
towards my art. Ideally I will plan two solo exhibitions
next year. I owe it to myself. AD
Left: Grandma Went Away
Above: Ntughali – Change
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