HELLO KEN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE 4BYSIX INITIATIVE, IT IS GREAT TO HAVE YOU AND SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR ART PRACTICE. FIRSTLY, AS YOUR ART PRACTICE DERIVES FROM WHAT SEEMS LIKE A MELDING OF YOUR SKILL IN HYPER-REALISM AND SOCIALLY ENGAGED PERSPECTIVES, CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR INITIAL  JOURNEY INTO CONTEMPORARY REALISM? 

I was inspired by artists like Njideka Akunyili Crosby and Kerry James Marshall. They create works in ways that feel fresh and layered. They inspired me to develop my own language within contemporary realism.

WERE THERE ANY CHALLENGES YOU UNCOVERED WHEN DEVELOPING YOUR SIGNATURE CONTEMPORARY REALIST STYLE OR DID YOU FEEL THAT ITS EVOLUTION FLOWED NATURALLY? 

It came naturally. I’m not usually trying to force a style. I just allow my lived experiences and interests to guide the direction of my work.

I FIND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND APPROACH TO COLOUR, WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF BLACKNESS, VERY INTERESTING. CAN YOU TELL ME IF THERE WERE ANY PATTERNS IN THE USE OF DULL COLOURS TO DEPICT BLACK PEOPLE OR DEPICT THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES? DID YOU FIND THIS IMPACTED THE DIRECTION OF YOUR CONTEMPORARY REALISM WORK?

I love vibrant colours, especially yellow. According to the visible spectrum, yellow is the brightest colour the human eye can see. So yellow became a strong metaphor in my work. It became a way of saying that Blackness is vibrant and fully present.

ONE OF THE MOST WELL KNOWN ELEMENTS OF YOUR WORK IS THE COLLAGED APPROACH TO INTEGRATING YOUR HYPERREALISTIC STYLE WITH CONTEMPORARY PAINTING AND CAN INCLUDE CLOSE UPS OF EYES CROPPED INTO PARTICULAR SHAPES. HOW DO YOU DECIDE HOW MUCH OF THE INDIVIDUAL’S FACE IS SHOWN IN THE HYPERREALISTIC STYLE AND DOES IT HOLD A CERTAIN SIGNIFICANCE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE OVERALL PAINTING?

The eyes have strong emotional and psychological power. In my work, I try to use the eyes to create a connection between the painting and the viewer, almost as if you are looking at the painting and the painting is looking back at you.

YOU RECENTLY PRODUCED AN ARTWORK FOR 4BYSIX AS PART OF THEIR INITIATIVE, HOW HAVE YOU FOUND WORKING WITH THEM AND WHAT DREW YOU TO JOIN THEIR PROGRAMME?

I’ve enjoyed this project and contributing to the initiative. I genuinely admire what 4BYSIX are doing. I think the programme is thoughtful and timely.

SEEING AS 4BYSIX’S WORK IS CENTERED AROUND SUSTAINABILITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITHIN THE ARTS, YOU WERE ASKED TO PAINT ON A PIECE OF TARPAULIN. HOW DID YOU FIND THE PROCESS? DID YOU FIND THE MATERIAL TO INSPIRE A SPECIFIC DIRECTION FOR THE WORK?

The material was interesting to paint on. It already has an interesting history and context.

FOLLOWING MY LAST QUESTION, HOW DID YOU FIND WORKING ON THE TARPAULIN? IS MAKING WORK ON UNCONVENTIONAL CANVASES FROM UPCYCLED MATERIALS SOMETHING YOU ENJOY AND PRACTICE OFTEN?

I enjoy working on unconventional materials. I’m always interested in surfaces that already carry their own history. I also like to explore how my painting sits on different materials, across different mediums.

CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE PAINTING YOU HAVE PRODUCED FOR US? WERE THERE ANY KEY THEMES OR SUBJECTS ON YOUR MIND WHEN MAKING THIS WORK?

The painting I produced is called Ascension. It is a work about becoming. At this moment, I see my life very much in that way. The central street setting in the painting comes from a photograph I took during my residency in Rome. Within that setting, I pictured an angel with wings carrying the key to the city as a symbol of access. I also included Alusi, a minor deity or nature spirit in Igbo religion, Odinani, that serves as an intermediary between humans and the Supreme Being, Chukwu. Altogether, the painting became a way of thinking about becoming and transition.

GIVEN THAT YOUR PRACTICE HOLDS A SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP WITH SOCIALLY ENGAGED OBSERVATIONS AND CONTEMPORARY NARRATIVES, DOES THE SUBJECT OF SUSTAINABILITY WITHIN THE ARTS FEED INTO YOUR METHODOLOGY AT ALL?

Yes. Sustainability does feed into my methodology, both materially and conceptually. At different times, I’ve worked on used cardboard, and I’m always curious about what happens when a material with its own history enters the space of painting.

FINALLY, CAN YOU TELL US HOW YOU ARE OVERALL AND HOW LIFE HAS BEEN IN THE STUDIO RECENTLY? ARE THERE ANY NEW PROJECTS OR ARTISTIC DIRECTIONS YOU ARE EXCITED TO WORK ON?

I’m doing well, and life in the studio has been exciting. I recently won the Young Generation Art Award, which has been a really good moment for me. Right now, I’m looking ahead to Frieze London and continuing to build with that momentum.