Mum told me art is for men – Oreoluwa Dickson Afolasade

Miss Oreoluwa Dickson Afolasade is a 23-year-old visual artist based in Abeokuta, Ogun State. She speaks with our correspondent about art, her passion, and her challenges.

What propelled you into art?

• Oba of Benin, Obaseki differ on repatriation of looted artifacts
  Nigeria makes history, shock US in pre-Olympic basketball friendly

My dad is an architect. I learnt how to draw from him. I spent a lot of time with him while he was working during the early part of my childhood and I picked one or two things from him. I was also with him whenever he was drawing or sketching blueprints of his projects. But I decided that I want to be drawing people and other things instead of houses.

I started drawing and painting when I was small, I think I was 10 years old when I started drawing. I started with sketching, I would sketch pictures of animals and other things I could lay my hands on. From there, I got into secondary school and I continued drawing and painting. When we were being promoted to the Senior Secondary school, our principal asked us what we would like to do in future and for me, it was nothing else but drawing because I really love being an artist. It was then that I decided that this is what I am going to be doing.

I derive happiness and satisfaction from sketching; I am free to express myself.

When I finished secondary school, I decided that I needed to hone my skills in drawing and painting. I decided to take a short break from school, to enable me learn more about my art. I started learning on my own, I didn’t go to any formal school to learn art, I was developing myself more and the result has been wonderful. I started posting my artworks on social media – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. I love drawing and painting animals because they give me inspiration.

The artwork on Funke Akindele was my third painting. I decided to draw and paint her because I love her art, I love the way she acts and because she serves as an inspiration to other young girls like me out there.  I didn’t learn drawing and

painting from anyone, it was all self-effort. I learnt everything on my own.

How do you get inspiration for these works?

I like to be alone in a quiet place, it allows me to think, and it helps me to explore my inner self. I like to listen to soul-lifting music whenever I’m alone, it relaxes me and makes me calm, it also takes away my worries and it helps me be in the creative mood to bring out my talent. At this moment, the idea of artwork may just drop in my mind and immediately, I just start sketching whatever comes to my mind at the moment.

For instance, when I created the Funke Akindele artwork, I was just alone for about two weeks and one of the days, I was listening to music and the inspiration to draw her portrait just came and immediately I picked up my tools and I started sketching her image. The image was from one of the pictures she took during her birthday recently. I just wanted to draw her image to prove to people out there that I’m really talented and to also encourage others to follow their dreams and develop themselves.

What attracted me to her image was the cloth she was putting on. I have never done something like this before, it is a new challenge for me.

How did your parents receive this?

At first, my parents tried to dissuade me from going into visual art. I remember my mum telling me that art is for male children and what was my business and interest in art. She told me I was wasting my time, that I should go and acquire other skills like catering, but I insisted on pursuing art. I told her I wasn’t interested in catering or any other thing for that matter except art. I told her that art is what I want to do, it is what gives me joy and fulfilment.

Over time, when she noticed I wasn’t going to change my mind, so she agreed with me and since then she started supporting me.

What has been the level of patronage?

So far, people have been encouraging me. A lot of people have shown interest in my artworks. Aside from the artwork of Funke Akindele, I have also made another artwork of Toyin Abraham and her husband which I presented to her.

The artwork was a pencil work of a Nollywood couple, I did that, I think in 2017 or 2018. I presented the artwork to them at a cinema in Abeokuta.

What was her reaction?

She was really happy and this gave me reassurance that I’m on the right path. She was surprised that a young lady like me could do a wonderful job like that. She featured me in one of her movies and I was really happy because the gesture exposed me to the other sides of art that I wasn’t aware of before. My friends and family were also very happy for me and this has served as a major source of encouragement for me.

Do you find this work lucrative?

There is a future in this profession. Although for me, it is not about the money, it is about the joy, happiness, satisfaction and fulfilment I derive from being an artist. But, by the grace of God, I have been able to make a moderate income from drawing and painting.

For instance, I make an average of between N15,000 to N20,000 from a client and I can have maybe one or two clients in a week, depending on the type of job I do for the client. Sometimes, I make N50,000.

How many hours does it take you to finish an artwork?

It depends, sketching can take me minutes or hours sometimes but painting takes a lot of time. Painting is a meticulous act, you cannot afford to make mistakes, you take your time, you cannot be too fast because there is little or no room for mistakes. Averagely, painting can take me three days.

What is the biggest amount that you have ever made from an artwork?

For now, my biggest sale of the artwork is N50,000.

What would you have been doing if you were not an artist?

I would have become a caterer or a chef if I were not doing art. My mum actually pressured me into going into catering, because my mum loves cooking and I also love to cook, but I insisted that I don’t want to become a caterer nor do I want to become a chef. From the beginning, I set out to be an artist.

What are the major challenges in your profession?

A major challenge I face is the rain. This is because when we finish painting, we need the sun to dry it up but during the rainy season, we usually have challenges about getting our work done in time.

For now, I don’t have galleries where I display my artworks, so I rely on social media and referrals I get from people who had previously patronised me.

Also, I display my artwork, mainly in open places, like the front of my house but this is risky because the rain is not a friend of paintings. The chances of selling more artworks during the rainy season are limited.

Have you ever thought of leaving art?

During difficult times, especially when there is no patronage, my friends have tried to persuade me to leave the profession and find something else to do.

Some of them that are into internet fraud have tried to convince me on different occasions to leave art and join them, but I rejected the offer and insisted on being an artist no matter what.

I believe in God and I believe that whenever God says my time will come, I will surely get the necessary financial reward for my labour.

What is your advice to the youths out there?

My advice to Nigerian youths is that they should shun the quick approach to making money. They should get involved in legal activities that will bring income for them. There is honour in hard work. There is a reward for hard work.