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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

Art is innate, but challenges persist: Visual artist Chinedu Olili

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Interview Sources not specified Context piece
  • Chinedu Olili, a visual artist, discusses his innate talent, self-taught journey, and inspirations drawn from history and daily life.
  • He acknowledges ongoing challenges in the art world, particularly regarding formal training and exhibition participation.
  • Olili shares experiences with unusual client requests, including requests for nude portraits and 'paying in kind.'

Chinedu Olili, a visual artist whose work is inspired by history and human struggles, describes his artistic journey as an innate talent discovered early in life. He began drawing and sketching from childhood, developing his skills through self-teaching and guidance from fellow artists, rather than formal education.

It is innate. I started drawing and sketching from the time I could read and write.

— Chinedu OliliOlili described the origins of his artistic talent.

"It is innate. I started drawing and sketching from the time I could read and write," Olili stated. He found inspiration in Medieval and Renaissance texts, which introduced him to the works of masters like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Despite his natural aptitude, Olili admits to still facing challenges, particularly when technical questions arise that he cannot answer professionally due to his lack of formal training.

"Every art venture is a new challenge for me. Initially, however, the challenge was fear. Because I never had formal professional training in the field, I get lost when asked some technical questions," he explained. This lack of formal grounding initially made him hesitant to participate in art exhibitions.

Every art venture is a new challenge for me. Initially, however, the challenge was fear. Because I never had formal professional training in the field, I get lost when asked some technical questions.

— Chinedu OliliOlili discussed the persistent challenges he faces in his art career due to his lack of formal training.

Olili draws motivation from a wide array of sources, including daily activities, religion, human struggles, politics, culture, and nature. He often captures fleeting concepts from movies or conversations by jotting them down or typing them into his phone, though not all ideas make it to the canvas. He also touched upon the evolving nature of visual arts, stating, "Like every other area of human existence, as long as humans evolve, art will certainly evolve too."

Like every other area of human existence, as long as humans evolve, art will certainly evolve too.

— Chinedu OliliOlili shared his perspective on the evolution of art in response to societal changes.

When asked about client requests, Olili acknowledged receiving unusual propositions, with the most common being requests for nude portraits. He also mentioned instances where clients have offered sex in exchange for artwork, a practice sometimes referred to as 'paying in kind.'

Can you paint me naked?

— ClientOlili cited this as a common and unusual request from clients.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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