Subomimoniker: “Anti-shade”

Ultimately, the practice of art is human fellowship. In my ever continuing journey to answer the question “Who am I?” I’ve turned to art. My art primarily revolves around exploring one’s identity. Beginning with my moniker “Anti-shade.” This was born during the Black Lives Matter movement at the height of the pandemic. As an immigrant teenager, I was in a strange land grappling with the idea that being a person of colour would alter my life experiences and opportunities, and not always in a positive way, and as a black artist, I resent that version of the world so divided by the concept of race and ethnicity. Beginning my artistic pursuit, I’ve aimed for mastery of my medium to tell my most personal narratives primarily for peace of mind. I also believe that the fellowship of human stories is the solution to the divisiveness in our current society. So, I share my findings from exploring the self with the hope that others are inspired to share their self-exploratory findings. My artistic process varies between projects, but primarily, I pick a theme or conversation I’m intrigued by and iterate through numerous sketches to identify the best way to communicate that thought. My art is heavily inspired by social commentary. As a Nigerian artist, I feel burdened by the need to comment on the beauty and the thorns I observe in my society at large. Art should make space for excitement and whimsy, so I always make an active effort to create pieces inspired by that side of myself as well.