WEBVTT 00:00:00.739 --> 00:00:04.519 Welcome to Art Unframed. I'm Vulcan, and together 00:00:04.519 --> 00:00:07.839 with my Cohost Kafani, we dive into the raw side 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:11.380 of creativity. This podcast is about art without 00:00:11.380 --> 00:00:15.259 limits, art that questions, art that pushes back, 00:00:15.419 --> 00:00:19.460 art that shows us who we are. Every episode, 00:00:19.620 --> 00:00:23.320 we sit with artists from around the world to 00:00:23.320 --> 00:00:26.420 talk about their journey, their struggles, and 00:00:26.420 --> 00:00:29.030 the stories behind their work. It's not just 00:00:29.030 --> 00:00:32.009 about galleries and pretty pictures. It's about 00:00:32.009 --> 00:00:35.750 freedom, vulnerability, and the power of creating. 00:00:39.350 --> 00:00:42.969 Welcome back to Art Unframed. I'm Vulcan and 00:00:42.969 --> 00:00:46.130 this is Season 2, where we keep exploring the 00:00:46.130 --> 00:00:48.869 real stories behind creativity. Today we are 00:00:48.869 --> 00:00:51.390 talking about something every artist thinks about. 00:00:51.789 --> 00:00:54.929 How to stand out in a world full of portraits. 00:00:55.649 --> 00:00:58.420 How do you create something that's yours? Something 00:00:58.420 --> 00:01:02.179 that feels alive. To help me dig into that, I'm 00:01:02.179 --> 00:01:05.760 joined by an amazing artist, Ify Hussein. Ify 00:01:05.760 --> 00:01:08.659 is known for his charcoal portraits that blur 00:01:08.659 --> 00:01:12.219 the line between the real and emotional drawings 00:01:12.219 --> 00:01:15.959 that almost move like they are breathing emotion, 00:01:16.280 --> 00:01:20.700 like as if wind is blowing through them. Ify 00:01:20.700 --> 00:01:23.120 is really great to have you here. Welcome to 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:28.340 Art on French. Thank you. All right. Thank you. 00:01:28.760 --> 00:01:33.480 So let's start from the beginning. Can you tell 00:01:33.480 --> 00:01:37.739 us about yourself? And you can also kind of like 00:01:37.739 --> 00:01:42.439 tell us who is Ify when he's not drawing. Okay. 00:01:42.459 --> 00:01:47.900 So basically everybody knows that Ify is a very 00:01:47.900 --> 00:01:53.420 simple guy. When I'm not drawing, instead I'm 00:01:53.420 --> 00:01:56.230 listening to music, watching football. Like, 00:01:56.230 --> 00:01:57.849 people know I'm a Chelsea fan. I make a lot of 00:01:57.849 --> 00:02:00.909 noise about it. And maybe I'm thinking about 00:02:00.909 --> 00:02:03.769 ideas. I go to church. I'm in the choir. So, 00:02:03.870 --> 00:02:10.069 I sing from time to time. And I cook. Like, when 00:02:10.069 --> 00:02:12.490 I told you I was, like, stressed out today, I've 00:02:12.490 --> 00:02:14.270 been cooking, like, since morning. I'm just done 00:02:14.270 --> 00:02:17.590 with everything I was doing. So, that's basically 00:02:17.590 --> 00:02:23.550 who I am. That's nice. I'm also kind of like 00:02:23.550 --> 00:02:26.719 a chef myself. I like to experiment on food, 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:30.039 you know. So I used to try different type of 00:02:30.039 --> 00:02:33.039 things, different type of recipe when I'm not 00:02:33.039 --> 00:02:37.300 doing art. So I can relate to that. It's really 00:02:37.300 --> 00:02:40.240 stressful cooking, especially when I'm kind of 00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:42.939 like particular about the taste. But going towards 00:02:42.939 --> 00:02:46.300 your art, I would like to ask, like, what first 00:02:46.300 --> 00:02:53.909 drew you towards realism and portraiture? Okay, 00:02:53.969 --> 00:02:59.610 so I've always been fascinated by faces. Basically, 00:02:59.710 --> 00:03:04.110 it all started when I was young. Primary, secondary 00:03:04.110 --> 00:03:06.629 school, I was just fascinated about drawing. 00:03:07.509 --> 00:03:09.370 I used to do assignments back then for people. 00:03:10.770 --> 00:03:12.590 We had this rule in our house, no phone still, 00:03:12.830 --> 00:03:14.469 you are done with secondary school. So once I 00:03:14.469 --> 00:03:16.689 was done with secondary school, before then, 00:03:16.750 --> 00:03:17.870 before I was done with secondary school, there 00:03:17.870 --> 00:03:19.990 was this time I did a drawing of our state school 00:03:19.990 --> 00:03:22.900 back then. I'm from Aquarium State. so i just 00:03:22.900 --> 00:03:27.159 tried it out and i got the resemblance like really 00:03:27.159 --> 00:03:29.379 really perfect all the textures and everything 00:03:29.379 --> 00:03:31.379 like the depth and contrast were not like 100 00:03:31.379 --> 00:03:35.840 % right but for a first time it was really perfect 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:39.479 so then i was like okay i could make this part 00:03:39.479 --> 00:03:41.860 of my life and keep doing it so when i got the 00:03:41.860 --> 00:03:44.379 phone when i was done with secondary school i 00:03:44.379 --> 00:03:47.319 happened to open instagram facebook and started 00:03:47.319 --> 00:03:52.569 seeing the likes of arizi so i'm sure most of 00:03:52.569 --> 00:03:54.750 us we know them so from there i was like okay 00:03:54.750 --> 00:03:57.949 i need to try reach their level because those 00:03:57.949 --> 00:04:01.710 guys they make photographs look exactly like 00:04:01.710 --> 00:04:04.250 the drawing they are making so that's how i was 00:04:04.250 --> 00:04:06.389 fascinated about it and i was like okay yeah 00:04:06.389 --> 00:04:09.150 let me do this the ball one of the things that 00:04:09.150 --> 00:04:11.050 was driving me then maybe along the line was 00:04:11.050 --> 00:04:13.930 as i was shifting from getting that like hyper 00:04:13.930 --> 00:04:16.370 hyper realism to just try to recreate what's 00:04:16.370 --> 00:04:19.639 in the photograph so most times people tell me 00:04:19.639 --> 00:04:21.800 people ask me how do you even get your drawings 00:04:21.800 --> 00:04:23.899 right i just want to say it's easy where you 00:04:23.899 --> 00:04:25.579 see black you put black where you see white you 00:04:25.579 --> 00:04:27.899 put white where you see gray you put gray so 00:04:27.899 --> 00:04:34.180 that's what's basically it that's lovely so from 00:04:34.180 --> 00:04:39.639 drawing people's chemistry okay or science um 00:04:39.639 --> 00:04:43.620 diagrams and everything so going into portraits 00:04:43.620 --> 00:04:48.639 it's really it's really lovely um i want to ask 00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:51.240 like your charcoal portraits they have these 00:04:51.240 --> 00:04:57.000 beautiful blood effects like almost like wind 00:04:57.000 --> 00:05:01.240 or motion how did that style start and what does 00:05:01.240 --> 00:05:05.420 it mean to you okay first of all they started 00:05:05.420 --> 00:05:08.060 playfully i'm not going to come here i see i 00:05:08.060 --> 00:05:09.980 saw it in a dream or any trance or something 00:05:09.980 --> 00:05:14.040 it's just i playfully my friend posted a blurry 00:05:14.040 --> 00:05:16.500 picture i was like i'm not done something like 00:05:16.500 --> 00:05:19.439 this before i could just try it out and then 00:05:19.439 --> 00:05:22.959 i just did it i still followed my normal pattern 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:25.379 try to get the black spots where the black spots 00:05:25.379 --> 00:05:27.879 are where the white spots are where the gray 00:05:27.879 --> 00:05:32.740 spots are just get them and then i got it right 00:05:32.740 --> 00:05:35.040 like i just got it perfect like the very first 00:05:35.040 --> 00:05:38.100 one i did i don't know if i can if i can pin 00:05:38.100 --> 00:05:41.480 it up here just give me a second let me try so 00:05:41.480 --> 00:05:44.839 i've pinned it up here so this was my very first 00:05:44.839 --> 00:05:48.220 attempt so I just tried it out, pour the charcoal 00:05:48.220 --> 00:05:50.860 on the paper as I normally do. And I have these 00:05:50.860 --> 00:05:54.600 makeup brushes, which I just use. And then I 00:05:54.600 --> 00:05:57.779 get everything like perfect. So as I doing that, 00:05:57.939 --> 00:06:00.480 and it was fun, it was interesting because I'm 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:02.779 someone that on a normal, I just like blurry. 00:06:04.220 --> 00:06:06.439 I don't like blurry pictures to an extent. I 00:06:06.439 --> 00:06:08.319 don't know why it's, it's my sound weird to some 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:10.300 people. Like, why would I just love, love blurry 00:06:10.300 --> 00:06:13.180 pictures? So since I started doing it and there's 00:06:13.180 --> 00:06:15.750 this thing that. the algorithm also helps you 00:06:15.750 --> 00:06:17.350 like maybe like your followers or your mutuals 00:06:17.350 --> 00:06:20.050 just help you maybe decide what you want to do 00:06:20.050 --> 00:06:23.189 and the sense that after doing that i did like 00:06:23.189 --> 00:06:26.949 two extra ones um somebody commented i was like 00:06:26.949 --> 00:06:28.629 you could make this your niche and then continue 00:06:28.629 --> 00:06:30.370 doing this i still have that to its bookmark 00:06:30.370 --> 00:06:34.269 somewhere and i was like okay yeah so that's 00:06:34.269 --> 00:06:36.649 basically how i started doing blur and then i 00:06:36.649 --> 00:06:39.209 just made it like a kind of style if i see any 00:06:39.209 --> 00:06:41.129 blurry picture now i'm always fascinated i i 00:06:41.129 --> 00:06:43.899 just want to enjoy it or try it out some are 00:06:43.899 --> 00:06:47.939 very hard and i just try try try try try and 00:06:47.939 --> 00:06:50.800 then i get it out at some points like i think 00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:53.100 for now i've gotten really used to it just like 00:06:53.100 --> 00:06:55.379 one of my pastors said one time when you're in 00:06:55.379 --> 00:06:57.639 the mess for too long the mess now becomes a 00:06:57.639 --> 00:07:00.000 message to you so i've been doing for quite too 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:02.360 long and i'm very very comfortable i do even 00:07:02.360 --> 00:07:04.240 get my eyes don't ping me i might get a little 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:06.899 headache but once i get a headache i go i eat 00:07:06.899 --> 00:07:12.240 a fang soup and then i'm fine You know, when 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:14.199 you talk about Afangso, I just remembered that. 00:07:14.360 --> 00:07:16.920 And I know we used to both follow the same guy, 00:07:16.980 --> 00:07:20.819 this guy, Aquaman. And when he's talking about 00:07:20.819 --> 00:07:26.600 Afangso, he's very hilarious. But going to your 00:07:26.600 --> 00:07:30.920 portrait, I just love the way it moves in motion. 00:07:31.199 --> 00:07:33.620 It's just kind of like all these pictures that, 00:07:33.720 --> 00:07:36.420 I don't know, that is kind of like shaking. And 00:07:36.420 --> 00:07:41.199 it's really lovely. when you look at different 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:43.459 parts of them it gives this particular type of 00:07:43.459 --> 00:07:47.180 double exposure effects which I love I'm also 00:07:47.180 --> 00:07:52.540 into that type of work as well so when you're 00:07:52.540 --> 00:07:55.220 working with charcoal what's the hardest part 00:07:55.220 --> 00:08:00.519 is it like the patience or like perfecting the 00:08:00.519 --> 00:08:06.319 piece to the end okay the hardest part about 00:08:06.319 --> 00:08:10.250 this drawing is always the grid lines. Getting 00:08:10.250 --> 00:08:12.870 the proportions right, like starting, let me 00:08:12.870 --> 00:08:14.290 just say starting is always the hardest part 00:08:14.290 --> 00:08:18.170 because sometimes you just, you set up your table, 00:08:18.310 --> 00:08:21.689 your pencils and everything, then you are staring 00:08:21.689 --> 00:08:26.029 at the blank paper. You are like, can I do this? 00:08:26.189 --> 00:08:28.550 There are a lot of times, even till now, and 00:08:28.550 --> 00:08:32.129 I'm like, I'm still, there's a little bit of 00:08:32.129 --> 00:08:34.330 self -doubt that I'll be like, can I do this? 00:08:34.370 --> 00:08:36.190 I don't know whether it's self -doubt. i was 00:08:36.190 --> 00:08:38.049 like can i really do this then i just start and 00:08:38.049 --> 00:08:41.629 then i then there's a part where you have to 00:08:41.629 --> 00:08:43.789 be as patient as possible and don't try don't 00:08:43.789 --> 00:08:46.629 rush anything you are doing so i just take it 00:08:46.629 --> 00:08:49.289 bit by bit if it feels like if i feel sleepy 00:08:49.289 --> 00:08:52.590 i go to sleep if i feel like maybe i need to 00:08:52.590 --> 00:08:54.690 eat something i just go to eat so the hardest 00:08:54.690 --> 00:08:58.409 part about it is just starting once i just start 00:08:58.409 --> 00:09:00.950 and then there's some drinks i start i'm supposed 00:09:00.950 --> 00:09:03.259 to take like maybe a week to finish it all Once 00:09:03.259 --> 00:09:05.500 I start and I'm enjoying the groove and all of 00:09:05.500 --> 00:09:07.279 that, maybe I play some music and all of that, 00:09:07.320 --> 00:09:10.700 I could finish it up in a day. Yeah, so the hardest 00:09:10.700 --> 00:09:16.860 part is basically just starting. Yeah, and sometimes 00:09:16.860 --> 00:09:19.440 someone can't just even have that motivation 00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:22.899 to even start something. So it's always good 00:09:22.899 --> 00:09:27.100 that I always expect people that can start something 00:09:27.100 --> 00:09:29.919 and kind of like have the energy to finish it 00:09:29.919 --> 00:09:35.730 and see it through the end. so like what's your 00:09:35.730 --> 00:09:39.230 process like from when you're creating a piece 00:09:39.230 --> 00:09:42.169 like from the sketch to finish work how is it 00:09:42.169 --> 00:09:47.549 like can you describe it okay so basically i 00:09:47.549 --> 00:09:51.929 start with the proportion and i i use grid lines 00:09:51.929 --> 00:09:55.450 i've not learned the other styles because i didn't 00:09:55.450 --> 00:09:58.049 go to an art school and all of that so i use 00:09:58.049 --> 00:10:02.070 grid lines first then i The next thing I go in 00:10:02.070 --> 00:10:04.210 with is the sketch. I try to get the sketch so 00:10:04.210 --> 00:10:06.970 that it fits into the paper I want to use. The 00:10:06.970 --> 00:10:10.929 paper could be maybe 10, 15 inches or 10, 12 00:10:10.929 --> 00:10:14.070 or thereabout. So I try to make sure it fits 00:10:14.070 --> 00:10:16.409 in perfectly well and I try to just make sure 00:10:16.409 --> 00:10:19.590 my sketch is also top -notch because if you miss 00:10:19.590 --> 00:10:22.450 the sketch, most times, because I work with references 00:10:22.450 --> 00:10:25.970 most of the time, I rarely do imaginative. It's 00:10:25.970 --> 00:10:28.320 just maybe along the line, I'll just... put in 00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:30.460 some imaginative things or put in some things 00:10:30.460 --> 00:10:32.279 that i feel okay this would be here this would 00:10:32.279 --> 00:10:34.700 be here i rarely do imaginative i know there 00:10:34.700 --> 00:10:35.980 are people that they are called to do that one 00:10:35.980 --> 00:10:40.899 not ready for me so i make sure i get the sketches 00:10:40.899 --> 00:10:44.700 right like really light and then i start pouring 00:10:44.700 --> 00:10:50.360 the charcoal bit by bit sometimes i draw depending 00:10:50.360 --> 00:10:52.620 on my mood i could start from maybe the eyes 00:10:52.620 --> 00:10:54.919 depending on what drawing it if it's a face i'm 00:10:54.919 --> 00:10:57.000 drawing Aside from the eyes most times, or maybe 00:10:57.000 --> 00:10:59.419 I just try to run it from top of the paper to 00:10:59.419 --> 00:11:01.200 down of the paper. Sometimes from down of the 00:11:01.200 --> 00:11:03.820 paper to top of the paper. Just like I said, 00:11:03.860 --> 00:11:09.019 depending on my mood, then I just build the layers 00:11:09.019 --> 00:11:12.600 of tones and shadows gradually. So I pour charcoal, 00:11:12.980 --> 00:11:16.120 try to add more contrast. Because initially when 00:11:16.120 --> 00:11:18.639 I started drawing, all this time I was always 00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:21.779 scared to pour more charcoal on my paper or graphics. 00:11:21.879 --> 00:11:25.049 I was always scared because I didn't... i didn't 00:11:25.049 --> 00:11:27.710 have like put the complete tools especially erasers 00:11:27.710 --> 00:11:29.190 there are these erasers that really help you 00:11:29.190 --> 00:11:31.450 even if you pour as much charcoal as possible 00:11:31.450 --> 00:11:33.529 if you need to clean off some i can still clean 00:11:33.529 --> 00:11:37.990 it off so i just that's i think that's just basically 00:11:37.990 --> 00:11:40.629 it so from there till like the finish point and 00:11:40.629 --> 00:11:42.570 then i add all the highlights and everything 00:11:42.570 --> 00:11:45.009 i need to do and make sure it looks exactly how 00:11:45.009 --> 00:11:46.990 i want it to be sometimes it doesn't look exactly 00:11:46.990 --> 00:11:50.070 like the reference but it looks exactly how i 00:11:50.070 --> 00:11:57.399 want it to be That's lovely. So, like, there's 00:11:57.399 --> 00:12:00.799 a fine line between drawing what you see and 00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:04.440 drawing what you feel. How do you balance the 00:12:04.440 --> 00:12:16.279 two? Okay. So, let me see. Drawing what I see 00:12:16.279 --> 00:12:20.259 and what I feel, most of the time, that's why 00:12:20.259 --> 00:12:22.860 I think from the other question I answered, I 00:12:22.860 --> 00:12:25.870 said, like it depends on my mood because sometimes 00:12:25.870 --> 00:12:27.809 i can just be drawing exactly what i see especially 00:12:27.809 --> 00:12:29.649 if it's i think most times is when i'm doing 00:12:29.649 --> 00:12:34.470 commissions i have to do exactly what i see exactly 00:12:34.470 --> 00:12:36.230 like exactly what is there because the company 00:12:36.230 --> 00:12:37.710 the person that's paying for the commission wants 00:12:37.710 --> 00:12:39.730 it to look exactly like the picture boy is the 00:12:39.730 --> 00:12:41.929 personal pieces i work on these are the ones 00:12:41.929 --> 00:12:44.009 where i have to freestyle and if i feel like 00:12:44.009 --> 00:12:48.129 okay this idea is lighter or it should be darker 00:12:48.129 --> 00:12:52.029 or something out at that just parents just for 00:12:52.029 --> 00:12:53.710 my mood and everything there's sometimes i'll 00:12:53.710 --> 00:12:55.470 just sit there i could share the particular piece 00:12:55.470 --> 00:12:58.129 for as long as possible until i feel okay this 00:12:58.129 --> 00:13:00.789 is okay it's just like i think the normal instincts 00:13:00.789 --> 00:13:03.230 where you see where our mothers cook and then 00:13:03.230 --> 00:13:06.289 they are not the only thing maybe they could 00:13:06.289 --> 00:13:08.070 portion a bit is the number of maggie they are 00:13:08.070 --> 00:13:09.570 going to put maybe you could say they are putting 00:13:09.570 --> 00:13:11.970 five cubes of maggie they are putting three cubes 00:13:11.970 --> 00:13:14.710 of maggie or you see for salt when it comes to 00:13:14.710 --> 00:13:16.769 salt just how they feel they will just pour the 00:13:16.769 --> 00:13:19.110 salt into the food and then when he does feel 00:13:19.110 --> 00:13:21.529 it's okay they'll not test it and well for the 00:13:21.529 --> 00:13:24.070 drawing i'm not testing it obviously so sometimes 00:13:24.070 --> 00:13:26.309 i just work then when i feel it's like okay it's 00:13:26.309 --> 00:13:28.990 okay yeah i don't stop there and that's that's 00:13:28.990 --> 00:13:31.389 the part that makes i think that's the part that 00:13:31.389 --> 00:13:34.309 makes more uh most artists work look different 00:13:34.309 --> 00:13:39.090 because you could give 10 artists a particular 00:13:39.090 --> 00:13:41.490 picture to work on and it will all look even 00:13:41.490 --> 00:13:43.129 if they work on the same medium and all of them 00:13:43.129 --> 00:13:45.210 are trying to make like hyper realism it will 00:13:45.210 --> 00:13:47.519 still have this difference you see this i know 00:13:47.519 --> 00:13:48.980 that okay this is rapido's work you see this 00:13:48.980 --> 00:13:51.240 i know okay this is toby's work and all of that 00:13:51.240 --> 00:13:58.200 yeah that's lovely yeah it's just like i like 00:13:58.200 --> 00:14:00.840 the way you kind of like use this cooking analogy 00:14:00.840 --> 00:14:05.200 like the way it is like different recipes everybody 00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:07.879 has the way they are going to come up with something 00:14:07.879 --> 00:14:11.860 to make the same meal and yeah it's going to 00:14:11.860 --> 00:14:14.279 taste the same but not really the same at the 00:14:14.279 --> 00:14:18.259 same time Yeah, it's really nice the way you 00:14:18.259 --> 00:14:22.059 kind of like put it together like that. So realism 00:14:22.059 --> 00:14:25.940 can be tricky. It's really tough to stand out. 00:14:26.500 --> 00:14:29.179 What do you think makes your kind of realism 00:14:29.179 --> 00:14:34.480 different? I don't know what makes it different. 00:14:35.059 --> 00:14:36.940 I don't know. I can't really hear what makes 00:14:36.940 --> 00:14:38.480 it different. If you asked, I would really know 00:14:38.480 --> 00:14:40.879 what makes it different. To an extent, I just 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:43.559 try to, like I said earlier, I just try to... 00:14:44.250 --> 00:14:46.690 Where I see black spots, I make them black. Where 00:14:46.690 --> 00:14:48.970 I see white spots, from the references I'm working 00:14:48.970 --> 00:14:54.970 on, I make them that way. So, I don't know. Even 00:14:54.970 --> 00:14:56.649 if it was food now, I would also say the test 00:14:56.649 --> 00:14:58.330 is the difference and the difference is the test. 00:14:58.389 --> 00:14:59.809 So, as you test it, you know that, okay, this 00:14:59.809 --> 00:15:04.830 is your capacity. Do you think it's like about 00:15:04.830 --> 00:15:08.309 style, story, or like something else entirely? 00:15:09.269 --> 00:15:12.539 First of all, I think this is ignored. one thing 00:15:12.539 --> 00:15:14.419 i would say just makes my work look different 00:15:14.419 --> 00:15:17.779 is i think it's the blurry texture i think i 00:15:17.779 --> 00:15:19.340 just shade it differently from the way other 00:15:19.340 --> 00:15:21.159 artists shade if you watch some videos on youtube 00:15:21.159 --> 00:15:24.399 you'll see people that are capable enough to 00:15:24.399 --> 00:15:27.440 post their process and everything you see people 00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:28.919 shade differently there are people that pour 00:15:28.919 --> 00:15:30.620 water on their paper before they even start working 00:15:30.620 --> 00:15:33.159 so there are ways i shade if you see like my 00:15:33.159 --> 00:15:38.139 time lapse process where i post from time to 00:15:38.139 --> 00:15:40.139 time there are ways i shade so it just looks 00:15:40.139 --> 00:15:42.559 different and It's mostly the viewers that we're 00:15:42.559 --> 00:15:44.379 able to tell, okay, okay, this work is different 00:15:44.379 --> 00:15:46.519 from this one. Because somebody could see your 00:15:46.519 --> 00:15:48.139 work and say, okay, this is your work. Somebody 00:15:48.139 --> 00:15:51.759 could see my work. And for like the masters themselves, 00:15:52.200 --> 00:15:54.460 the Marines there, when you could see Kelvin's 00:15:54.460 --> 00:15:55.860 work and know, okay, this is Kelvin, you could 00:15:55.860 --> 00:15:58.220 see this person's work and know, okay, this is 00:15:58.220 --> 00:16:01.340 the Marines' work. I would never be able to answer 00:16:01.340 --> 00:16:07.539 that. Yeah, you answered it perfectly. So I know 00:16:07.539 --> 00:16:13.039 like recently, um this person mr beast um bought 00:16:13.039 --> 00:16:15.860 your work and he's kind of like recognized your 00:16:15.860 --> 00:16:18.919 work so far can you kind of like describe how 00:16:18.919 --> 00:16:21.059 it happened and how did you feel in that first 00:16:21.059 --> 00:16:28.179 moment okay so i i feel i felt happy i felt fulfilled 00:16:28.179 --> 00:16:33.799 i felt i hope people know obviously i hope people 00:16:33.799 --> 00:16:37.379 know where i'm drawing that from Okay, so how 00:16:37.379 --> 00:16:41.980 did you feel at first? I was shocked. I was so 00:16:41.980 --> 00:16:45.879 shocked. I think... I've not been shocked that 00:16:45.879 --> 00:16:48.580 way in my life before. Maybe, yeah. I've not 00:16:48.580 --> 00:16:50.240 been shocked that way in my life before. I posted 00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:52.159 the drawing. Normally, I just posted the drawing 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:54.399 that, okay, people see that, okay, I could be 00:16:54.399 --> 00:16:56.899 able to draw this blurry picture of Mr. Beast 00:16:56.899 --> 00:16:59.100 and all and then I'll get a lot of engagement 00:16:59.100 --> 00:17:03.980 as normal and not put my mind to him saying it's 00:17:03.980 --> 00:17:06.690 because it's... obviously he's a celebrity and 00:17:06.690 --> 00:17:11.730 then uh we have everyday artists draw celebrities 00:17:11.730 --> 00:17:14.329 and then he gets aired or something like that 00:17:14.329 --> 00:17:16.529 so my mom was just i'll get engagements from 00:17:16.529 --> 00:17:19.069 me people would tag him as much as possible so 00:17:19.069 --> 00:17:21.910 that afternoon i went to sleep and i woke up 00:17:21.910 --> 00:17:25.269 i was about to have my bath and go for rehearsal 00:17:25.269 --> 00:17:29.170 yeah in church so i said let me check my phone 00:17:29.170 --> 00:17:30.849 for a bit only for me to check my phone i saw 00:17:30.849 --> 00:17:32.809 that mr beast commented and he followed me i 00:17:32.809 --> 00:17:37.109 started crying i was like what is this like why 00:17:37.109 --> 00:17:40.730 like i started thinking of because you know when 00:17:40.730 --> 00:17:44.109 you the whole algorithm thing and everything 00:17:44.109 --> 00:17:45.529 you when you want to post your artwork you are 00:17:45.529 --> 00:17:47.190 thinking of the time to post the best time and 00:17:47.190 --> 00:17:50.289 everything or anything you are doing you like 00:17:50.289 --> 00:17:54.069 how do you do it right like so i was now thinking 00:17:54.069 --> 00:17:55.970 there was a part i was now thinking okay what 00:17:55.970 --> 00:17:57.569 if i didn't post this thing today what if i posted 00:17:57.569 --> 00:17:59.089 it like yesterday what if i posted it earlier 00:17:59.089 --> 00:18:00.829 because normally most times i like posting my 00:18:00.829 --> 00:18:03.809 art by 3 p .m new arts especially i like putting 00:18:03.809 --> 00:18:05.769 like 3 p .m west african time in the afternoon 00:18:05.769 --> 00:18:07.730 so but this one i was just like i posted that 00:18:07.730 --> 00:18:10.369 morning so just like the bible says all things 00:18:10.369 --> 00:18:12.210 work together for my good so it just worked out 00:18:12.210 --> 00:18:14.869 that way for me and then when it happened i was 00:18:14.869 --> 00:18:17.450 overwhelmed i cried i was like ah but i was like 00:18:17.450 --> 00:18:18.869 okay this will not make me stay back for real 00:18:18.869 --> 00:18:20.190 though so i rushed to realize i was on everything 00:18:20.190 --> 00:18:22.009 i was smiling all through people would see me 00:18:22.009 --> 00:18:23.789 out smiling on the road and everything i wonder 00:18:23.789 --> 00:18:26.049 i was waiting to be this one because the smile 00:18:26.049 --> 00:18:29.710 anyhow so that's how basically everything felt 00:18:29.710 --> 00:18:33.950 that the and i tried not to just i was i was 00:18:33.950 --> 00:18:36.190 a little excited but i tried to like keep myself 00:18:36.190 --> 00:18:38.710 in check as much as possible i'll do to put away 00:18:38.710 --> 00:18:40.650 on my timeline that time so that i was like it 00:18:40.650 --> 00:18:43.430 was not it was not like check check like that 00:18:43.430 --> 00:18:47.549 so it's a it's a lovely it's a little bit of 00:18:47.549 --> 00:18:50.730 course there's no there's no joy kind of like 00:18:50.730 --> 00:18:53.190 um there's nothing trying to kind of like hide 00:18:53.190 --> 00:18:55.490 that particular type of excitement it's really 00:18:55.930 --> 00:18:58.950 Yeah, my guy was telling me I'm being too much. 00:18:59.609 --> 00:19:02.690 But when he told me I was doing too much, he 00:19:02.690 --> 00:19:07.170 ended his statement with, he ended his statement 00:19:07.170 --> 00:19:11.089 with, none of us has been here before. So he 00:19:11.089 --> 00:19:14.150 can't really justify whatsoever my reaction of 00:19:14.150 --> 00:19:18.869 it. Exactly. And apart from that, you've also 00:19:18.869 --> 00:19:23.490 been speed drawing for a while. i normally used 00:19:23.490 --> 00:19:26.130 to come across your drawings in my timeline where 00:19:26.130 --> 00:19:29.009 you would just kind of like see a random picture 00:19:29.009 --> 00:19:30.849 and you would just kind of like speed draw it 00:19:30.849 --> 00:19:33.869 and show the person so i think you've been doing 00:19:33.869 --> 00:19:37.869 it for a while and like and what you said about 00:19:37.869 --> 00:19:41.990 timing too like timing matters and yeah sometimes 00:19:41.990 --> 00:19:45.130 the usual time you normally post it and then 00:19:45.130 --> 00:19:47.369 there's not really there's not really an actual 00:19:47.369 --> 00:19:50.150 time that is the best time for engagement and 00:19:50.150 --> 00:19:54.390 yeah it's just like exactly the the universe 00:19:54.390 --> 00:19:57.470 kind of like responded as you kind of like posted 00:19:57.470 --> 00:20:04.329 um so did that like recognition change anything 00:20:04.329 --> 00:20:07.390 for you like how people saw your work and how 00:20:07.390 --> 00:20:11.650 you saw yourself as an artist for me nothing 00:20:11.650 --> 00:20:13.609 has changed i'm still i'm still the same as i 00:20:13.609 --> 00:20:15.950 show up every day wake up and touch pencils and 00:20:15.950 --> 00:20:20.230 do my usual thing and maybe some things i don't 00:20:20.230 --> 00:20:22.640 know I don't know what people think on the outside. 00:20:22.980 --> 00:20:24.480 I can't really see for them. I can't really speak 00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:25.839 for them because they are seeing things differently. 00:20:26.019 --> 00:20:27.660 I'm not seeing things normally. I come online. 00:20:28.440 --> 00:20:30.440 I do my usual house. I see other artists' work. 00:20:31.079 --> 00:20:32.920 I read tweets and comments. If I need to do, 00:20:33.000 --> 00:20:35.180 like those feed printings I used to do, if I 00:20:35.180 --> 00:20:38.160 see a beautiful reference on the timeline, if 00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:42.519 I need to, if I need to draw it, I'll draw it 00:20:42.519 --> 00:20:44.880 if I have the time. Yeah, there are some other 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:47.200 things I just have going on and some things, 00:20:47.240 --> 00:20:50.470 some structures I set up. i just keep doing them 00:20:50.470 --> 00:20:53.710 i don't see myself like i don't because there's 00:20:53.710 --> 00:20:58.230 this thing where if you want to i don't think 00:20:58.230 --> 00:21:00.549 i can mention yamal in this we're dragging him 00:21:00.549 --> 00:21:02.930 recently there's this thing where there's this 00:21:02.930 --> 00:21:05.190 picture where he puts it i think he tried to 00:21:05.190 --> 00:21:07.210 put the crown on himself i never i think i was 00:21:07.210 --> 00:21:10.650 not looking at him and in some sort of way so 00:21:10.650 --> 00:21:13.630 i don't want to like put i try not to just get 00:21:13.630 --> 00:21:16.920 overwhelmed um when you start doing things said 00:21:16.920 --> 00:21:19.420 a prayer um recently for pastor nathaniel basi 00:21:19.420 --> 00:21:21.579 on his birthday and he was like he prays that 00:21:21.579 --> 00:21:27.980 god like he he should not um like know the impacts 00:21:27.980 --> 00:21:29.859 he has on people's life like him himself he should 00:21:29.859 --> 00:21:31.759 not know because there's how you get to know 00:21:31.759 --> 00:21:34.319 some certain things and you now lose track of 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:36.819 okay the purpose of what you're supposed to do 00:21:36.819 --> 00:21:39.000 so i try not to just get overwhelmed and maybe 00:21:39.000 --> 00:21:41.900 like get let's get to me but yeah some certain 00:21:41.900 --> 00:21:44.359 things will change obviously but Not all of it. 00:21:44.440 --> 00:21:49.000 I'm still listening to you for real, Syke. Yes, 00:21:49.000 --> 00:21:53.539 nice. You know, I was kind of thinking whether 00:21:53.539 --> 00:21:58.380 it was going to kind of be difficult to send 00:21:58.380 --> 00:22:01.660 a message to you. I would be kind of like trying 00:22:01.660 --> 00:22:06.140 to put you on this space. So I was kind of like 00:22:06.140 --> 00:22:10.160 setting a schedule for you and everything. And 00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:12.539 then I was just like... ify would you like to 00:22:12.539 --> 00:22:16.339 come and i was like sure what time so it's really 00:22:16.339 --> 00:22:18.720 great um yeah thank you for giving me the opportunity 00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:21.460 to interview i wonder why you were scared because 00:22:21.460 --> 00:22:24.400 we've been guys for quite a long time so i don't 00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:29.160 know nobody should care i'm not good i think 00:22:29.160 --> 00:22:31.039 somebody even commented one time somebody commented 00:22:31.039 --> 00:22:33.319 on my process video of me signing the works with 00:22:33.319 --> 00:22:36.420 mr beast somebody commented uh it's the beast 00:22:36.420 --> 00:22:38.380 see me he said after a giveaway they use boss 00:22:38.380 --> 00:23:06.879 am i supposed to fly plane and go to actually 00:23:06.879 --> 00:23:10.299 we've been talking for a while so yeah it's kind 00:23:10.299 --> 00:23:13.599 of like and you've always kind of like been like 00:23:13.599 --> 00:23:16.119 that even before any of all these things happen 00:23:16.119 --> 00:23:19.859 like you we are always kind of like i'm always 00:23:19.859 --> 00:23:22.019 coming to ask you about different type of things 00:23:22.019 --> 00:23:23.839 and then you will give me tips about different 00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:27.920 things so yeah it's really nice to hear from 00:23:27.920 --> 00:23:32.599 you um so like there's a lot of pressure in our 00:23:32.599 --> 00:23:36.759 today especially online like to go viral to be 00:23:36.759 --> 00:23:42.039 seen or so like how do you stay true to your 00:23:42.039 --> 00:23:49.339 craft without losing yourself in trends okay 00:23:49.339 --> 00:23:52.019 so you see that pressure of getting to trend 00:23:52.019 --> 00:23:58.839 yeah people used to people used to most times 00:23:58.839 --> 00:24:01.720 adults like to say just trust the process because 00:24:01.720 --> 00:24:03.519 that fame you want to get to you can get there 00:24:03.519 --> 00:24:05.039 and then you will not see that there is nothing 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:08.299 there especially the parts where I think I don't 00:24:08.299 --> 00:24:11.640 know what made this guy sing this song this song 00:24:11.640 --> 00:24:14.920 that says lowly at the top I like if you notice 00:24:14.920 --> 00:24:16.920 this recent thing that happened to me I like 00:24:16.920 --> 00:24:20.240 the fact that it's not just me like few months 00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:23.160 ago something big happened to Rapido which includes 00:24:23.160 --> 00:24:27.900 my guy something which has happened to Midi Midi 00:24:27.900 --> 00:24:30.779 that just met Ade Kunle good and satire reposted 00:24:30.779 --> 00:24:35.940 at works and everything so you've seen that for 00:24:35.940 --> 00:24:37.880 me it feels better that way that okay it's not 00:24:37.880 --> 00:24:40.319 just me most of my guys even like my friend that 00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:43.700 is on here Bito has made some wins herself like 00:24:43.700 --> 00:24:46.799 recently and some other people that I know yeah 00:24:46.799 --> 00:24:48.799 so that pressure to go viral most times it's 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:51.240 not really really because you could get there 00:24:51.240 --> 00:24:52.900 you will not even have like some busy time for 00:24:52.900 --> 00:24:55.460 yourself imagine now okay you're not just the 00:24:55.460 --> 00:24:57.039 only person that has reached out to me for like 00:24:57.039 --> 00:24:59.480 an interview and everything if I want to follow 00:24:59.480 --> 00:25:01.940 all this interview and everything I'll be going 00:25:01.940 --> 00:25:04.299 out for all of it I'll forget that, okay, I have 00:25:04.299 --> 00:25:06.160 to create more artworks. I still need to make 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:08.279 more artworks. I'm not, I'm very, very young. 00:25:08.519 --> 00:25:11.059 I still need to make more artworks and all of 00:25:11.059 --> 00:25:14.740 that. So I could get too excited, start going 00:25:14.740 --> 00:25:17.380 for all these interviews and then I forget that, 00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:20.000 okay, I have stuff to do. Okay, recently I posted 00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:24.440 that I got into an art residency. Now, if I've 00:25:24.440 --> 00:25:27.200 said, okay, I've made it, I've gotten to the 00:25:27.200 --> 00:25:29.099 top, I have a whole lot to do and all of that, 00:25:29.160 --> 00:25:30.720 then I'll not go for art residency. Then I'm 00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:32.799 supposed to help my life, help my career, and 00:25:32.799 --> 00:25:35.240 help my CV as an artist. I'll not do all of that. 00:25:35.319 --> 00:25:40.799 So, one thing about the pressure to go viral, 00:25:40.839 --> 00:25:42.420 how do you even stay true to yourself? Just remind 00:25:42.420 --> 00:25:44.700 yourself why you started. Did you start to just 00:25:44.700 --> 00:25:46.539 get to it? If you started to just get to the 00:25:46.539 --> 00:25:49.180 top, then fine. Do whatever you want to do. But 00:25:49.180 --> 00:25:51.460 you should check back. Why did you start creating? 00:25:51.980 --> 00:25:54.140 It's something I love doing. I know obviously 00:25:54.140 --> 00:25:55.779 you need to make money and all of that and everything. 00:25:55.880 --> 00:25:58.420 If I make money and make like some bastard money 00:25:58.420 --> 00:26:00.599 and everything, I'll still go back to my craft, 00:26:00.660 --> 00:26:02.960 go back to what I love doing. So for myself, 00:26:03.059 --> 00:26:06.000 I just tried to remind myself why I started and 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:09.099 I didn't start to train. I didn't start to do 00:26:09.099 --> 00:26:13.019 some, like some of those crazy things. Like for 00:26:13.019 --> 00:26:15.099 me, I stay in my house. Like I can be in my house 00:26:15.099 --> 00:26:17.299 for the whole week, not going out. I'll just 00:26:17.299 --> 00:26:19.059 go to maybe church or maybe an art exhibition 00:26:19.059 --> 00:26:22.160 or... some other basic things like that. So I 00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:24.220 just focus on purpose. If there are certain things 00:26:24.220 --> 00:26:26.700 I need to get done, I just get them done. Things 00:26:26.700 --> 00:26:28.160 that are, especially things that will help my 00:26:28.160 --> 00:26:31.359 craft. So I'm not really, really all about, especially 00:26:31.359 --> 00:26:33.180 you see that fame that doesn't come with money. 00:26:33.720 --> 00:26:35.880 I'm not part of it. So sometimes people want 00:26:35.880 --> 00:26:38.059 to get viral, viral, all of that, but it's not 00:26:38.059 --> 00:26:39.920 bringing money to your table. How do you want 00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:41.900 to survive at the end of the day? So make sure 00:26:41.900 --> 00:26:45.259 that whatever fame you want to get into is also 00:26:45.259 --> 00:26:49.559 bringing money to your table. yeah it's true 00:26:49.559 --> 00:26:51.960 you know it's one thing having that fame and 00:26:51.960 --> 00:26:54.880 it's one thing having money you know like and 00:26:54.880 --> 00:26:59.680 also there is also one of the things about getting 00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:02.599 that recognition and then sometimes you will 00:27:02.599 --> 00:27:06.440 just be in a particular type of state whereby 00:27:06.440 --> 00:27:10.200 okay my work has been recognized by this person 00:27:10.200 --> 00:27:14.119 but yet I still don't have money at the moment 00:27:14.119 --> 00:27:20.039 and Then let's say you are in an exhibition as 00:27:20.039 --> 00:27:22.160 well. You just be like, yeah, I just wish this 00:27:22.160 --> 00:27:27.119 work soon or something like that. Um, have you 00:27:27.119 --> 00:27:29.980 ever felt that way? Like even like when you got 00:27:29.980 --> 00:27:32.559 recognized about something and then you just 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:35.740 had this particular feeling about, about, yeah, 00:27:35.839 --> 00:27:42.059 this particular type of situation. I mean, like 00:27:42.059 --> 00:27:48.259 having this recognition, and then you just had 00:27:48.259 --> 00:27:52.839 this particular type of feeling where um yes 00:27:52.839 --> 00:27:55.059 you'll be like you you've not kind of like made 00:27:55.059 --> 00:27:59.839 enough bastard money like you say and yeah have 00:27:59.839 --> 00:28:04.339 you ever kind of like felt that way no most times 00:28:04.339 --> 00:28:07.619 if i'm if i'm posting my heart on the on the 00:28:07.619 --> 00:28:10.759 internet and everything i get some sort of okay 00:28:10.759 --> 00:28:12.519 the only time maybe i may feel bad about it is 00:28:12.519 --> 00:28:14.410 my personal works if they don't sell The ones 00:28:14.410 --> 00:28:15.769 that have a super area and everything. Those 00:28:15.769 --> 00:28:19.269 are the only ones. That's why I stopped early 00:28:19.269 --> 00:28:23.349 in my career. I joined celebrities because at 00:28:23.349 --> 00:28:25.490 the end of the day, some of them will just look 00:28:25.490 --> 00:28:28.650 you and just pass. So I don't stop that. So the 00:28:28.650 --> 00:28:30.750 only time where I feel maybe some type of sadness 00:28:30.750 --> 00:28:33.410 is when my works get viral. My works have got 00:28:33.410 --> 00:28:36.710 so viral a lot of times and the work always sells 00:28:36.710 --> 00:28:38.289 out. Then the ones that don't sell out are the 00:28:38.289 --> 00:28:40.109 ones that I always feel sad. I'm like, okay, 00:28:40.109 --> 00:28:42.589 maybe... you don't want to buy it but it's a 00:28:42.589 --> 00:28:44.549 part of me that also feels that if somebody has 00:28:44.549 --> 00:28:47.710 a booked map and is waiting for some sort of 00:28:47.710 --> 00:28:53.289 cash to enter then someone will buy it yeah yeah 00:28:53.289 --> 00:28:56.769 that's the thing about art like it always has 00:28:56.769 --> 00:28:58.569 its own time you cannot kind of like dictate 00:28:58.569 --> 00:29:02.589 when it's going to sell or a particular moment 00:29:02.589 --> 00:29:05.730 is going to get recognized you just keep on doing 00:29:05.730 --> 00:29:10.890 what you're doing and then sometimes some work 00:29:10.890 --> 00:29:14.170 we just kind of like take some time it will sit 00:29:14.170 --> 00:29:16.250 out there and then you might make something and 00:29:16.250 --> 00:29:18.630 it's just going to get to that recognition and 00:29:18.630 --> 00:29:22.049 you might even like you might even like that 00:29:22.049 --> 00:29:23.930 one more than the other one the one that is sitting 00:29:23.930 --> 00:29:29.609 out there it's just what it is um so how do you 00:29:29.609 --> 00:29:33.349 balance detail and imperfection like when do 00:29:33.349 --> 00:29:41.079 you know that a piece is done Okay, so when I 00:29:41.079 --> 00:29:44.859 feel at peace, most times, I think my siblings 00:29:44.859 --> 00:29:46.339 are always around when I'm drunk. When they first 00:29:46.339 --> 00:29:49.039 hear me stash housing, they know they drop ass 00:29:49.039 --> 00:29:53.660 like this. That's when I'm done. I don't stash 00:29:53.660 --> 00:29:55.319 housing that particular act because I used to 00:29:55.319 --> 00:29:57.839 look at my house and I was like, ah, let me draw 00:29:57.839 --> 00:30:00.440 this thing. Let me draw it. Once I just feel 00:30:00.440 --> 00:30:02.579 at peace, I'll be like, okay, this is it. And 00:30:02.579 --> 00:30:06.400 then I'm done. Because there's that, the point 00:30:06.400 --> 00:30:08.680 where You now start doing unnecessary finishing 00:30:08.680 --> 00:30:10.359 touches and then you spoil the work. I think 00:30:10.359 --> 00:30:11.859 this is something that every artist relates to. 00:30:12.359 --> 00:30:15.259 So even if you want to go ahead and correct too 00:30:15.259 --> 00:30:18.039 much, that's why even working on it with like 00:30:18.039 --> 00:30:20.019 a commission piece or sometimes I don't hit commission 00:30:20.019 --> 00:30:22.480 pieces. Well, at least you used to bring money 00:30:22.480 --> 00:30:24.559 to the table. When I'm working on commission 00:30:24.559 --> 00:30:26.279 pieces, I try to make sure I get the resemblance 00:30:26.279 --> 00:30:29.220 as much as possible to make sure everything is 00:30:29.220 --> 00:30:31.559 right. And then I test it with my eyes, test 00:30:31.559 --> 00:30:33.599 it with my manager sees it and then some other 00:30:33.599 --> 00:30:36.190 people see it and I send it to the clients. they 00:30:36.190 --> 00:30:37.410 were saying to the client and the client is like 00:30:37.410 --> 00:30:39.529 oh yeah this is perfect this is good you can 00:30:39.529 --> 00:30:41.430 go ahead and frame it i'm always at peace and 00:30:41.430 --> 00:30:45.250 like i'm fine but the parts where you now start 00:30:45.250 --> 00:30:48.970 telling me the ears is bigger than the the nose 00:30:48.970 --> 00:30:51.450 or can you ask more baby for me and all of that 00:30:51.450 --> 00:30:55.930 you now start try to maybe erase or maybe add 00:30:55.930 --> 00:30:59.710 more details and everything and it ends up messing 00:30:59.710 --> 00:31:05.859 the work so i just It's just basically when I 00:31:05.859 --> 00:31:08.500 feel peace with the wok. So I just make sure 00:31:08.500 --> 00:31:11.599 I do little finishing touches and then I just 00:31:11.599 --> 00:31:12.900 leave it the way it is because if you want to 00:31:12.900 --> 00:31:17.160 overdo, you'll end up spoiling the wok. Yeah. 00:31:17.660 --> 00:31:20.200 There's one thing they say about when you chef, 00:31:20.299 --> 00:31:22.720 when someone finishes cooking and then you just 00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:26.299 decide to add just a tiny pinch of salt and that 00:31:26.299 --> 00:31:28.700 salt will just end up spoiling the whole meal. 00:31:29.619 --> 00:31:32.519 It really happens to me this afternoon that I 00:31:32.519 --> 00:31:34.920 don't spoil cooking. He nearly happened to do. 00:31:35.140 --> 00:31:40.960 What are you making? I was making Afan too. I'm 00:31:40.960 --> 00:31:49.079 not going to drop Lutisha on Sha. Anyway, Aquaman 00:31:49.079 --> 00:31:52.920 is going to be there. That guy is always in every 00:31:52.920 --> 00:31:58.380 place where they are making Afan too. You will 00:31:58.380 --> 00:32:00.140 just see him wearing a lawyer wig or something. 00:32:02.950 --> 00:32:09.430 So, like, every artist needs a moment of doubt. 00:32:09.930 --> 00:32:13.230 Like, what keeps you going when your inspiration 00:32:13.230 --> 00:32:16.910 feeds? Or when your work feels slow? Like, when 00:32:16.910 --> 00:32:18.970 you have this creative block, what keeps you 00:32:18.970 --> 00:32:25.509 going? Okay, first off, I used to give thanks 00:32:25.509 --> 00:32:27.390 to the source that creates life. I'm going to 00:32:27.390 --> 00:32:31.519 pray. I don't pray. Because, like, this is how 00:32:31.519 --> 00:32:33.140 a guy said, I don't know where he got that line 00:32:33.140 --> 00:32:35.480 from. We are nothing but pencils in the hands 00:32:35.480 --> 00:32:38.240 of the creator. Yeah, so at the end of the day, 00:32:38.279 --> 00:32:41.079 if I don't have, like, the Holy Spirit to guide 00:32:41.079 --> 00:32:44.500 me, sometimes I'll just, yeah, so I'll just go 00:32:44.500 --> 00:32:48.140 pray, sleep, watch a movie, and everything. I 00:32:48.140 --> 00:32:50.279 think the last space we had before with the Access 00:32:50.279 --> 00:32:52.200 Fellowship on Monday was talking about art blocks 00:32:52.200 --> 00:32:54.799 and all of that. So, sometimes I just leave it 00:32:54.799 --> 00:33:00.289 and, yeah, that's why I have i have like different 00:33:00.289 --> 00:33:02.829 styles so sometimes when i'm working with charcoal 00:33:02.829 --> 00:33:04.369 i work with charcoal for too long i just be like 00:33:04.369 --> 00:33:07.210 okay i pick up my black pen and then i start 00:33:07.210 --> 00:33:10.509 scribbling scribble scribble just takes me into 00:33:10.509 --> 00:33:12.289 another dimension and another world entirely 00:33:12.289 --> 00:33:15.029 because they're just you see how scribble is 00:33:15.029 --> 00:33:18.190 like it's just chaka chaka that makes sense so 00:33:18.190 --> 00:33:21.269 nonsense with sense something like that yeah 00:33:21.269 --> 00:33:24.109 so i just do that and then i i used to help people 00:33:24.109 --> 00:33:26.700 that paint because is most times that people 00:33:26.700 --> 00:33:28.619 when they will have ad blocks that's when painters 00:33:28.619 --> 00:33:30.920 used to paint the one of the best one of their 00:33:30.920 --> 00:33:33.039 best artwork in the world who does sky paint 00:33:33.039 --> 00:33:36.660 and one is just black and white i'm happy with 00:33:36.660 --> 00:33:39.299 it yeah but it's when you have those as blocks 00:33:39.299 --> 00:33:41.339 i think painters have more advantage because 00:33:41.339 --> 00:33:44.819 they just mix colors i don't know mix some weird 00:33:44.819 --> 00:33:46.400 color and then don't call it one name that's 00:33:46.400 --> 00:33:49.819 how we have colors like cockroach brown sea green 00:33:49.819 --> 00:33:51.440 and all of that and everything don't mind me 00:33:51.440 --> 00:33:55.980 please i'm just joking yeah so yeah so i think 00:33:55.980 --> 00:33:58.180 that's just basically it's just try i used to 00:33:58.180 --> 00:34:00.619 try out different things or just go out sometimes 00:34:00.619 --> 00:34:04.019 because we artists i know most of us we are we 00:34:04.019 --> 00:34:06.119 have extroverted features in our body but we 00:34:06.119 --> 00:34:08.280 are more introverted than the extroverted because 00:34:08.280 --> 00:34:10.400 we are always indoors maybe just but so at that 00:34:10.400 --> 00:34:13.360 point i'll just try to go out that's why i like 00:34:13.360 --> 00:34:16.000 going to church go he has house do music and 00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:17.719 all of that i'm planning to get a piano at home 00:34:17.719 --> 00:34:20.239 so sometimes when i feel that way because i play 00:34:20.239 --> 00:34:23.460 the piano yeah so i could just get played move 00:34:23.460 --> 00:34:25.880 from my joint table go to the piano play some 00:34:25.880 --> 00:34:31.219 music and all of that so that's it that's lovely 00:34:31.219 --> 00:34:36.820 yeah like there's even something about like even 00:34:36.820 --> 00:34:40.460 if someone is like you're not feeling good about 00:34:40.460 --> 00:34:43.000 what you're making at the moment like you should 00:34:43.000 --> 00:34:46.559 just make it that's where sometimes you can just 00:34:46.559 --> 00:34:48.900 have fun just doing making that your scribble 00:34:48.900 --> 00:34:53.380 or whatever you call jaga jaga or something like 00:34:53.380 --> 00:34:56.679 just like just keep creating like no matter what 00:34:56.679 --> 00:35:01.619 um if you could give one piece of advice and 00:35:01.619 --> 00:35:04.019 yeah i'm going to ask this before like if anybody 00:35:04.019 --> 00:35:06.699 have any question you can come up to ask if if 00:35:06.699 --> 00:35:09.639 you if you could give one piece of advice to 00:35:09.639 --> 00:35:13.179 artists trying to stand out in a world full of 00:35:13.179 --> 00:35:22.780 portraits or art what would they be Okay, so 00:35:22.780 --> 00:35:28.739 I'll give advice to artists in the world. So 00:35:28.739 --> 00:35:31.300 the very first thing I would say is just be yourself. 00:35:32.340 --> 00:35:35.119 Because people tend to try to be somebody and 00:35:35.119 --> 00:35:38.519 then end up losing themselves in the process. 00:35:39.280 --> 00:35:42.179 Why am I saying this? I tried so much to be careful. 00:35:43.460 --> 00:35:46.019 I tried so much to be a ranger in my life. And 00:35:46.019 --> 00:35:49.079 look who I am now. The picture that I got me. 00:35:49.559 --> 00:35:52.679 the most fame is not even hyper -realism. It's 00:35:52.679 --> 00:35:56.840 a blurry picture like everybody has seen. It's 00:35:56.840 --> 00:35:58.199 a blurry picture. It's never hyper -realism. 00:35:58.280 --> 00:36:02.699 So I just take truth to myself. I just did what 00:36:02.699 --> 00:36:05.940 made me happy and then just kept doing it. So 00:36:05.940 --> 00:36:08.460 just take truth to yourself. The whole world 00:36:08.460 --> 00:36:12.039 is big enough for everybody and the sky is big 00:36:12.039 --> 00:36:13.880 enough for everybody to shine. So don't feel, 00:36:14.000 --> 00:36:18.110 okay, you you you want to now be copying somebody 00:36:18.110 --> 00:36:19.989 and became exactly what another person is doing 00:36:19.989 --> 00:36:24.170 no i like there's this um there's this trend 00:36:24.170 --> 00:36:28.090 i saw somebody somebody started it there i can't 00:36:28.090 --> 00:36:30.230 i'm trying to remember his name is it to not 00:36:30.230 --> 00:36:33.309 to be i remember his name the way he posted my 00:36:33.309 --> 00:36:36.190 ads then and my ads now i mean his ads then was 00:36:36.190 --> 00:36:39.389 hyper real like realism to a certain level and 00:36:39.389 --> 00:36:41.889 then his art now is just a rough like very very 00:36:41.889 --> 00:36:43.969 rough sketch and he's very very okay with it 00:36:43.969 --> 00:36:46.329 i saw a lot of artists jump on that trend if 00:36:46.329 --> 00:36:48.769 if you are active on twitter you must have seen 00:36:48.769 --> 00:36:52.909 it so i like that they were very very true they 00:36:52.909 --> 00:36:55.030 were very very okay with okay this is how they 00:36:55.030 --> 00:36:56.489 want their ads to look like this is how they 00:36:56.489 --> 00:36:58.190 want their ads if you are in nfts you see that 00:36:58.190 --> 00:36:59.530 there are a whole lot of artists and people do 00:36:59.530 --> 00:37:04.269 a lot of crazy things so that's just basically 00:37:04.269 --> 00:37:07.190 stay true to yourself don't chase don't chase 00:37:07.190 --> 00:37:10.650 something that you are not don't be If you know 00:37:10.650 --> 00:37:12.030 that, okay, this is what you want to do, this 00:37:12.030 --> 00:37:14.429 is how you like to do it, just do it. That's 00:37:14.429 --> 00:37:15.949 one of the reasons why I didn't even go to art 00:37:15.949 --> 00:37:17.329 school because if I go to art school, they'll 00:37:17.329 --> 00:37:20.110 try to make me what I'm not and then just put 00:37:20.110 --> 00:37:21.829 me on a path that I'm not supposed to be on. 00:37:22.030 --> 00:37:25.710 So the basic thing is just be yourself and try 00:37:25.710 --> 00:37:29.650 to be perfect and try to add much value to yourself 00:37:29.650 --> 00:37:31.789 in some certain way because you want to get into 00:37:31.789 --> 00:37:33.889 the world where there are a lot of people. Okay, 00:37:33.949 --> 00:37:36.250 people are already doing this work. Just try 00:37:36.250 --> 00:37:38.949 to still keep. what can you do differently don't 00:37:38.949 --> 00:37:40.789 put much pressure on what can you do differently 00:37:40.789 --> 00:37:44.650 just paint just draw then if it comes it comes 00:37:44.650 --> 00:37:47.250 if it doesn't come you just leave it there one 00:37:47.250 --> 00:37:48.989 day one day one day one day one day you'll find 00:37:48.989 --> 00:37:52.250 your parts and everything so and also try to 00:37:52.250 --> 00:37:54.409 be unique in some sort of way just try to be 00:37:54.409 --> 00:37:56.010 unique you can't go and be saying okay because 00:37:56.010 --> 00:38:00.550 because me they drew i am adequately good in 00:38:00.550 --> 00:38:01.949 this type of way you now want to go and draw 00:38:01.949 --> 00:38:03.670 adequately good that's type of way i think he's 00:38:03.670 --> 00:38:05.250 going to answer you he's not going to answer 00:38:05.250 --> 00:38:08.789 you he's not going to he's not going to i saw 00:38:08.789 --> 00:38:11.829 i saw i'm not trying to shade anybody but i saw 00:38:11.829 --> 00:38:14.849 that after drawing mr beast somebody um i think 00:38:14.849 --> 00:38:17.050 few other artists some of them i don't know them 00:38:17.050 --> 00:38:19.530 tried to do some paintings of mr beast thinking 00:38:19.530 --> 00:38:22.429 he will see it maybe he has seen it but he obviously 00:38:22.429 --> 00:38:24.710 he's not going to respond so don't try to because 00:38:24.710 --> 00:38:26.369 okay this one is doing this now you're not going 00:38:26.369 --> 00:38:28.269 to enjoy it besides when you are you are sure 00:38:28.269 --> 00:38:31.070 that okay that is not you and everything so don't 00:38:31.070 --> 00:38:33.010 try to stay unique in your own way and be honest 00:38:33.010 --> 00:38:34.670 to yourself don't lie to yourself whatever you 00:38:34.670 --> 00:38:36.530 are doing if you are drawing for passion draw 00:38:36.530 --> 00:38:37.909 for passion if you are drawing for money draw 00:38:37.909 --> 00:38:40.289 for money don't lie to yourself anyhow anyhow 00:38:40.289 --> 00:38:42.329 also the major part is if you are honest with 00:38:42.329 --> 00:38:45.510 yourself you you will get there so the world 00:38:45.510 --> 00:38:48.650 doesn't need more the world doesn't need more 00:38:48.650 --> 00:38:51.110 perfect arts it needs authentic ones i don't 00:38:51.110 --> 00:38:52.929 know if you understand what like people understand 00:38:52.929 --> 00:38:55.050 what i mean by that by that statement it needs 00:38:55.050 --> 00:38:57.849 like authenticity is better than just getting 00:38:57.849 --> 00:39:01.539 like perfect because yeah and this world is not 00:39:01.539 --> 00:39:03.659 even perfect perfect like that so you try to 00:39:03.659 --> 00:39:06.340 accurate like the perfect artwork you might not 00:39:06.340 --> 00:39:08.840 okay see me that i'm making blurry works it's 00:39:08.840 --> 00:39:11.260 not like the most perfect like clearest pictures 00:39:11.260 --> 00:39:14.019 of all and that's what's making me like stand 00:39:14.019 --> 00:39:17.460 out in my own way and everything so that's basically 00:39:17.460 --> 00:39:20.760 what i have to say to every other artist out 00:39:20.760 --> 00:39:26.380 there just be unique That's great. Yeah, thank 00:39:26.380 --> 00:39:29.960 you. That was really insightful, like what you 00:39:29.960 --> 00:39:34.719 said about standing out, like making sure what 00:39:34.719 --> 00:39:40.320 you make is really about you. In case anybody 00:39:40.320 --> 00:39:42.500 kind of like have any question that they would 00:39:42.500 --> 00:39:48.179 like to ask Ify before I close up on the interview, 00:39:48.460 --> 00:39:51.539 you can come up, you can request to speak and 00:39:51.539 --> 00:39:56.239 then I'll bring you up. i'm just going to kind 00:39:56.239 --> 00:40:00.159 of like give a couple of minutes why if it's 00:40:00.159 --> 00:40:03.800 kind of warming is a funk soup and everything 00:40:03.800 --> 00:40:10.079 warming up and soup came in i'm eating i i cannot 00:40:10.079 --> 00:40:15.059 anyway sure this this or he called its new iphone 00:40:15.059 --> 00:40:18.460 feature of separating this thing i can't i can't 00:40:18.460 --> 00:40:20.780 i could not hear any sound of a fan they are 00:40:20.780 --> 00:40:23.039 eating a fan soup and it's not slapping like 00:40:23.039 --> 00:40:28.380 how is that happening There are ways, there are 00:40:28.380 --> 00:40:32.760 ways to do these things. There's a lot of people 00:40:32.760 --> 00:40:35.679 that used to wear suits, suit or shirt and sit 00:40:35.679 --> 00:40:42.119 down and do interview. Yeah. Um, I'm, I'm kind 00:40:42.119 --> 00:40:45.119 of guilty in that particular aspect. Like when 00:40:45.119 --> 00:40:48.619 someone is having like a meeting, I'll just be 00:40:48.619 --> 00:40:53.519 wearing suits with my, with my house clothes. 00:40:57.300 --> 00:41:03.280 Anyway, it is what it is. So it seems like nobody 00:41:03.280 --> 00:41:05.960 has any question to you and they really learned 00:41:05.960 --> 00:41:09.440 a lot from you. Thank you for coming to the space, 00:41:09.500 --> 00:41:14.719 Ify. It was such a beautiful conversation. Thank 00:41:14.719 --> 00:41:17.579 you for sharing your story, your process, and 00:41:17.579 --> 00:41:20.480 the art behind your work. What I love most is 00:41:20.480 --> 00:41:23.780 how your art reminds us that Starting out isn't 00:41:23.780 --> 00:41:26.400 about doing something loud. It's about doing 00:41:26.400 --> 00:41:29.880 something honest. Something that feels like you. 00:41:30.179 --> 00:41:33.539 And you do it quite well. To everyone listening, 00:41:33.840 --> 00:41:37.679 thank you for tuning in to Art on Friend. If 00:41:37.679 --> 00:41:40.519 you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone 00:41:40.519 --> 00:41:43.260 who loves art or needs a little creative push 00:41:43.260 --> 00:41:47.679 today. And I'm Vulcan and this is where we keep 00:41:47.679 --> 00:41:50.960 the conversation real. See you in the next one. 00:41:52.519 --> 00:41:59.019 hey wait wait wait wait see my ghost kafani where 00:41:59.019 --> 00:42:03.920 are you let me just let me just be helpful like 00:42:03.920 --> 00:42:10.500 i was calling i was calling her like this girl 00:42:10.500 --> 00:42:12.719 we have his face we have we have his face now 00:42:12.719 --> 00:42:27.400 she was sleeping and then oh my god And hi, everyone. 00:42:27.500 --> 00:42:34.079 Good afternoon. I hope you get well. Having bedroom 00:42:34.079 --> 00:42:40.679 voice, just like waking up early. I'm so sorry. 00:42:42.880 --> 00:42:46.900 I'm so sorry. I actually did set an alarm, but 00:42:46.900 --> 00:42:50.480 we'll talk about it later, please. Let's not 00:42:50.480 --> 00:42:52.480 talk about it. Yeah, we'll talk about it later. 00:42:53.430 --> 00:42:58.130 Hi, I'm Ife. Hi, Bitua. Hi, everyone. I hope 00:42:58.130 --> 00:43:00.590 you guys are well. Thank you for tuning in to 00:43:00.590 --> 00:43:05.150 Art Unframed. I'm Kafani. Thank you for coming. 00:43:06.750 --> 00:43:07.829 Thank you so much.