Welcome to Artfrofest :)

 Today I am discussing with Akindele John about his work, his inspirations, and his concepts. 

Akindele John, born in 1995 in Ogun State, Nigeria, and currently living in Lagos, focuses his work on women from Africa and the African diaspora. He portrays them in contemplation, draping them in vibrant colors ranging from jewel tones to neon brights.  Akindele began his practice by experimenting with charcoal and liquid acrylic, media which helped him realize that figurative paintings lead us to a better understanding of ourselves as creative, interactive beings. 

The figures in his works gaze vividly back at us and also engage back-and-forth with one another in nonverbal negotiations.  Akindele’s paintings are distinctive in their use of loose, playful lines and the softness of his brush’s effects. His works pay particular homage to his African-Nigerian identity, with a strong focus on his gratitude for Black feminine expression and identity in African society. 

One striking feature of his work, for example, is how he captures nappturality, the hairstyles of Black women who have chosen to exclusively wear their hair in a natural, afro-textured state.  Over the past few years, Akindele has developed into a full-time studio artist working across a range of techniques and mediums. His mastery of figurative art brings forth the movement and moods of his subjects, and leaves viewers inspired and mesmerized.

Welcome to Artfrofest :).

Today we are welcoming artist Wande Oseni. She will share with us her work, inspirations, and the aim of her work. Wande Oseni is a self-taught Nigerian visual artist based in Lagos State. She draws inspiration from her experiences, those of close friends as well as her opinions and commentary on topics of femininity, gender equity, mental health, societal and environmental struggles.  Wande's preferred medium are acrylics and digital painting using distinctive biological gender symbols to represent the subject heads. Wande holds Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Finance from the University of Lagos. 

ARTIST STATEMENT  "Through my art, I express the beauty and ugliness, the highs and lows of femininity that I experience, those of friends and women generally, ranging from topics of mental health, societal pressures, gender equity and other human interactions.  The use of biological gender symbols in my works as heads is to place more emphasis on body language rather than physiognomy in conveying feelings and emotions."  

Discover her work via her Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/wandenirvana/Welcome to Artfrofest :). Today we are welcoming artist Wande Oseni. She will share with us her work, inspirations, and the aim of her work.

Today I have the pleasure to speak to artist Paschal Ugwu about his latest work. He will share with us his journey as an artist, his inspirations, and much more.  Paschal Obinna Ugwu (b.1996, Nsukka) is a contemporary Artist, painter, from Orba, Enugu State, Nigeria. He is a full-time Painter, and presently lives and works in Abuja, Nigeria. Paschal Ugwu obtained a Bachelor of Arts for Fine and Applied Arts from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He uses imagery as a point of contact to creates paintings that are inspired by his thoughts, personal experiences, and his reactions to the lifestyle of everyday people found in his immediate environment. His works feature disjointed abstract figures achieved by a rhythmic flow of lines as he employs charcoal, pastel, acrylic and newsprints on a textured canvas and paper as a medium of creating his art pieces.  

You can see his work on Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/paschalugwu_art/

Hello Art Lovers,  In this video, the host, Ifedolapo, interviews artist Musah Swallow about his latest work. This insightful and engaging conversation will give you a better understanding of how Musah creates his paintings, which reflect the diversity and vibrancy of Africa today.

Also, you can watch the full video.

https://youtu.be/xMnx68jipOw

Today I am pleased to speak to Gafar Oluwabori, a talented figurative painter based in Nigeria. He will share with us his inspirations, the process in which he creates concepts, and more.

this interview s video is available on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChz6VBoVEE9K7mV3ADpa7JQ

I had the pleasure to meet Matthew during his exhibition in Paris at Afikaris Gallery. He shared with me the idea behind this new exhibition, his thought about some societal issues, and a few tips for emerging artists. Also, he discusses the future of contemporary African art and his paintings concept and his inspiration.