e-XHIBITIONS—with Solopencil.

Asiri Media's Chaline [C] had an interesting chat with one of Nigeria's most talented Visual Artists, Solopencil [S], who also serves as curator of Unchained Gallery here. Enjoy. 

                       CHALINE:

Hi. My name is Chaline Anarado. And I am here with one of the most talented Visual Artists in Nigeria. Of course, you know I am talking about Solopencil.

Welcome, Solopencil. Can I call you Solo?

                 SOLOPENCIL:

Thanks, Chaline. But I'll prefer Solopencil; it makes me feel alive as a creative.

                           C:

Wow, interesting. Solopencil is a rather unusual name. If you don't mind my asking, how did you come about the name, and what does it represent for you?

                            S:

[Laughs] Well, Back in Secondary School, there was this trend of attaching the word “Solo” to nicknames e.g solo pie, solo king, etc., so the vibe continued down to the University when I decided to take art seriously. Then I fell in love with drawing with pencils. And so I decided to build a brand name around Solopencil. It kind of reminds me about my roots, my beginnings as an artist; and why pencil art has always been what I do and should keep doing.

                              C:

An interesting origin there. But I am a little curious about how you managed it, growing up with this much potential. How did your family handle it? how did you handle it?

                             S:

Uhhhh! Growing up was fun: being the only child and all. My parents have always known art to be the only gift I had when I was tender; like, I didn’t know how to do anything else, except fiddle with pencils on paper. They liked it, but along the line they went all techie on me, insisting I pursue computer schooling. I obeyed, of course [Laughs]. But art chased me down to the University and I couldn't say no again. I embraced it and made them see reasons to accept it back again. It wasn't easy at all, blending academics and art; but I was persistent to get myself accustomed to the arts world. I wanted to be an artist, so I gave it everything I could.

                              C:

Thrilling. I think a lot of emerging artists should take a page from you. 

According to your Bio here, you’ve done ‘commissions’ for DJ Xclusive and Adekunle Gold. Commission must be some art speak, I guess. What does it mean?

                           S:

[Laughs] In art, a commission is the act of requesting the creation of a piece, often on behalf of another. Artwork may be commissioned by private individuals, by the government, or businesses.

                            C:

Erm…I don't quite understand that. But let's pretend I do.

I'm not supposed to ask, but I'd really love to hear what it was like working with those big names, if you don't mind sharing.

                             S:

The joy of every artist, especially as a beginner, is to have your works recognized by top celebrities after making sketches of them. I was invited by DJ Xclusive's manager to have his commission delivered to him and, trust me, I haven't gotten over the overwhelming experience of that particular moment. It was mind-freaking amazing to have spent time with him and the crew: words of advice, a drink or two and some pretty good amount of cash for a job well done.

                              C:

And a few selfies, no?

                              S:

Sure. Would you like to see?

                             C:

By all means.

                             S:

Here:

                             C:

I hope I'd get one of these on my birthday. So pretty.

                             S:

You never can tell.

                             C:

Ok, let’s get back to your art. What’s that work you feel the most connection with?

                             S:

I have deep connections with all my pieces as I create them. But the piece Collateral Damage 1 from the 'SCARS' series is one work I hold dear to my heart; because of the experience I had before creating it, and the voice I wanted to raise concerning  gender-based violence in Nigeria.

                               C:

Wow. That's deep. I'd loved you tell us briefly about the experience.

                               S:

SCARS tries to capture the ordeals of Vivian, who was repeatedly assaulted and battered by the man she called Obi m — “my heart” in the Igbo dialect.

Collateral Damage 1, sadly, was not exactly the first time he had beaten her to within an inch of her life. And when she asked him to go, he refused. She considered calling the police, but she couldn't risk them killing her Obi m and worsening the situation. Instead, she called her best friend from across the street.

                                C:

Gruesome. So, Collateral Damage 1 is just one in a series, right?

                               S:

Yeah. It’s a part of the 'SCARS' series. I thought if I wanted to raise a voice and speak to the society about violence against women, just one piece couldn’t do it justice. So there will be a 2,3, and on and on, until am tired of speaking.

                                C:

Awesome. So, Solopencil, are you a full-time artist?

                                S:

Not yet. I'll be rounding off my degree exams in Engineering this year; then I'll be an artist full time while still living a life.

                                C:

So you really don't intend on using your degree, huh?

                               S:

This is Nigeria! We all know how we’re living now. In whatever direction the wind of grace blows me, I'll follow.

                               C:

[Laughs] That couldn’t be more accurate.

You were announced sometime recently as curator of Unchained Gallery (UG) here on Asiri Media. Could you tell us what UG is about?

                                S:

UG is an online gallery for artists, photographers and creatives in general who would love to change societal notions because art speaks diverse tongues. UG will also serve as a platform for artists and photographers: a space for talented artists who often do not have the financial capability, or just enough works and experience, to carry on an arts exhibition to hold what we have called e-Xhibitions online and present their works.

There is not enough encouragement for emerging visual artists as there is with the established ones. If a regular collector wants to buy art, he won't buy from the emerging guys, but rather from the established ones. That is the way Nigeria is. The Nigerian visual arts community doesn't give the emerging guys the opportunity. We thank God for galleries like Rele Art Gallery arts who help young guys. This is one of the yawning gaps UG will try and bridge.

                              C:

Wow, that's a vision. I'm sure emerging artists will be thrilled to have such a platform. What should we be expecting from UG in the coming months?

                              S:

For now, we are just creating. Projects are in the works and too raw to be unveiled yet. Just stick around.

                             C:

You can count on that. The world is looking forward to seeing all you have in store for it. Please don't stop creating. I guess we’ll have to wrap it up on this note. I really appreciate your making out time to have this session with me. Also your efforts towards making it interesting and worthwhile.

                                S:

Thanks for having me, Chaline.

Chaline Anarado is a model, an aesthete, an athlete, an actress, and a language freak. She curates the Models and Runways segment on Asiri Media.