Ayogu Kingsley is a painter driven by the desire to show emotion in his work. In this interview, he talks about his trigger as an artist, his exhibitions in Lagos and New York, and more. Excerpts:
You recently featured in two major exhibitions. One was at the Crossing Art Gallery in New York while the other was at the Rele Gallery in Lagos. What was the experience like?
The reception I got at the Lagos exhibition was amazing. Initially, I was nervous because I didn’t know how my new body of work would be received. It was unlike anything I have ever created and I was happy when I noticed people really liked it.
How did the exhibition come about?
Rele Gallery was celebrating a milestone, its 5th launched in August 2019 with a two-week intensive residency in partnership with the Ekiti State Government. The boot camp program held in Ado-Ekiti brought together 25 young artists between the ages of 18 and 35 working in different mediums. Participants went through rigorous training sessions, career counseling and curatorial guidance. The result was the Young Contemporaries 2020 exhibition by six selected artists. I was privileged to be among the six.
‘Rainbow man’ was your star piece at the New York exhibition. What inspired that particular painting?
I did ‘Rainbow Man’ after I had an artist block for two weeks. I was completely out of inspiration. Then I checked reference pictures I took, found some and started sketching. I felt like I had to take my time on this and see what would happen. That was when I started creating ‘Rainbow Man.’ I picked parts of different pictures to create it. I also didn’t want a regular face or the work to be tied to any particular race, so that was why I used different colors.
How challenging was it working on your exhibition pieces?
At a point, I felt like my work was not good enough. I felt like I had to do something to improve its quality. I explored different mediums and tried out different concepts. To a point I gave up because I wasn’t getting what I wanted. I took a step back to observe everything I had done and incorporated them into a body of work.
How did your journey as an artist begin?
When I was about eight years old I used to see painters work on the roadside every day on my way to school. That was when I became interested in art. I started to draw in my excercise books instead of doing my homework. The next day I showed the artists what I drew. They liked my work and encouraged me to keep it up. Every day I would show them my new work and they would give me scores. Even at that young age I knew it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
How would you describe your style?
I cross-examine emotions in my art. I’m continually trying to transfer my interpretation of life into historically based art forms, such as portraits of women, men and children. I treat my work as poetry which captivates the viewer at first glance.
In my work, every blemish, scar, or feature helps to express the truth.
Do you remember your very first drawing?
My first work of art has, unfortunately, been lost. It was drawn in an excercise book i used for Christian Religious knowledge when I was in primary school. It was a drawing of a Mercedes car.
What inspires your art generally?
Everything I see inspires me, from the people around me to my experiences. Mostly it’s God, for his ability to create us in His image.
What is the most challenging piece you have worked on so far and why?
It’s called ‘Playground Memories,’ now part of the collection of Ike Chioke. It was a new concept and very challenging because you don’t know when to stop or where you are going. I simply enjoyed myself while painting it. I didn’t know when I was supposed to stop. It eventually became one of my favourites.
What would you say is your greatest challenge as an artist?
The first is creating. To keep creating something beautiful when you are hurting and shattered inside. It’s really hard to paint a happy work when you’re feeling miserable and lonely. But I paint and believe in it. I am a master who has the gift of creating something wonderful.
The second challenge would be constraints. When I became successful, I discovered the earlier challenges less and less frequently. Those challenges motivated me. Rage needs a driver. When the world accepts your vision, there is little motivation to share it, and worse, you get lazy. Sometimes I can’t get myself to work even though I am awake in the early hours of the morning. But I realize I have been given a wonderful gift and the ability to use it. I know I should never take that for granted. So when I find myself complacent, I seek new challenges to help me grow, and it has always worked.
What is your favorite part of being an artist?
My favorite part of being an artist would be the excitement of conceptualizing and bringing the idea to life.
What is that advice you got that stuck?
It’s that life is the pursuit of happiness in a marathon race. I got this from Ike Chioke.
