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Why Art?

Art is the way I
express myself. For me, it’s the language that I speak and it’s what
makes me feel the most connected to my soul. Seeing people connect with
what I create is what makes the process all the more special.

Training

I graduated from
the University of Benin with a degree in Fine Arts. Upon moving to the
United States, I continued my education at Georgia State University.
Though I have had some formal art training, much of my development has
come through practice, traveling, and studying the works of the artists
I admire.

Medium

Oil is my preferred
medium because of its richness, but I also work with several other
mediums as I am always looking to improve my skill by experimenting
with new materials and methods.

Influences

To date, my father
has had the biggest influence in my life and in my career as an artist.
The many times I felt discouraged about making a career from my art, he
was always there to encourage me.

Inspirations

I am inspired by my
environment – the beauty and its complexity are evident in my work. My
paintings strive to depict visual tales of emotion, mood, colour,
movement, form, textures, and other elements. My experiences and
interactions with these elements can be interpreted and translated best
when they are depicted on canvas.

Best work so far

Each piece
communicates something different that’s very meaningful to me. I am
always on a quest to produce works that will resonate even deeper than
the last piece, so I tend not to get too attached to my paintings.

Least satisfying work

I am very critical
of everything that I do, but I have found that what I find the least
satisfying is what someone else will find the most intriguing. I
believe every work I create will fulfill a purpose for someone and
that’s satisfying to me.

Career high point

Getting the
opportunity to exhibit my work alongside some of the world’s most
recognised artists and being named as one of ‘Today’s Top Artists’ in
July 2007, by Art Business News are accomplishments that I am very
proud of.

Winning the SOLO
Award at the International Artexpo New York in 2006 is also an
accomplishment that I am proud of because my work was singled out in
the midst of hundreds of other great works.

Favourite artist, living or dead

Pablo Picasso – I
am inspired by him because of his ability to be a multi-dimensional
artist. He was able to break away from the norm and create his own
style of painting.

Jackson Pollock –
He is an inspiration to me because of all of his accomplishments during
his short life. Pollock created the unusual technique of pouring and
dripping paint on canvas which is known to be the origin of the term
‘action painting’.

Ambition

Besides continuing
to create works that will inspire people, I would love to make art more
accessible to people by partnering with organisations that support this
cause. In recent years, I partnered with some of these organisations,
including The National Gallery of Art (NGA).

In collaboration with the NGA, I facilitated the sponsorship of a
few Nigerian artists and provided them the opportunity to exhibit their
work at the International Artexpo, New York and Las Vegas. This is a
wonderful experience for the artists involved and it has pioneered the
way for an annual Artexpo in Nigeria.