Abfillage and self-expression: the art of Aluu Prosper
Aluu Prosper is a 24 year old Nigerian Painter and figurative artist, producing strikingly bold works which not only challenge the neutral colour palette, but also the figurative perspective with verve and energy. To hear more about the man behind the canvas I had to ask a few more questions…
Can you describe your studio to our Smoor readers?
My studio is quite a mix of different states. Most times organised and sometimes in a mess. Because of the style of art I do which is a fusion of collage, abstract and figurative art, when it’s time to cut newspapers and glue it to the canvas, everywhere becomes disoriented as well as during the abstract coloration. But it’s a beautiful place.
What does art mean to you, and how do you know when it’s good?
I always tell people, art is self-expression. There is no bad art. If someone chooses to express himself or herself in whatever way they can, then it’s art. It is a personal choice. What you see as a bad art, someone could see as a masterpiece.
How would you describe the art that you make for someone who’s not familiar with your work?
I call it Abfillage. I indirectly relay messages on newspapers to my viewers without making it so obvious, while painting my story and expressing myself in figurative form. It’s a fusion of abstract, figurative and collage hence the name Abfillage.
Do you have a dream place you’d like to exhibit and why?
There are a lot of places, definitely. Like the Guggenheim, The Tate, The National portrait gallery, and maybe the Louvre in Paris and so on. In terms of why I think it’s already obvious why I want to show there.
Influences, inspiration? Talk to me….
Erm, I would pick Picasso first of all, not because of his style of art but because of his relentless personality. I learnt a lot from his lifestyle (not the bad side???). But his zeal and willingness to succeed, and in terms of how I paint, it’s influenced by Njideka Akunyili Crosby and Kadir Nelson and myself too.
How much sketching do you do beforehand? is it necessary?
In the kind of art I do, I sketch on the canvas directly because I work from reference images I took myself or from my past, so I don’t do preliminary sketches in rough books or sketchpads, but it’s essential I sketch before I paint the figurative part of my work because I wouldn’t want paints going into places they are not supposed to go into at all.
You use newspaper as a base for your work. Is there a reason for this?
Yes there is. Just like Mahatma Gandhi said, In order to preserve culture, you must continue to create it. The social, economic and political stories in newspapers are part of our culture, our way of life, and society plays a huge role in our individual lives. I preserve these stories not by stacking the papers but by using them to create art. It’s like turning what could have been a waste into gold.
I know when I’m writing I sometimes use music to help concentrate -let’s just say a particular Max Richter song has got me through a lot-. Do you listen to music while painting?
I can literally do little without music. Everything could feel boring. Music initiates and invites a certain energy into the room and the work. I only turn it off when I’m done. You know I write too. I don’t use music when I write my poems, because I need full concentration. Words collide in my head if I use music to write.
Why is challenging the perspective of the human form such a big feature in your work?
Well, I would also ask you, why would I want to paint what already ‘is’ when I have the power to create my own universe on my canvas? God chose to make us the way he wanted to because he has the power to. I challenge the normal narrative but mostly the head because it’s the seat of wisdom.
There’s a parrot in the mural ‘Garden of Eden’ that you’ve painted showing a woman braiding another woman’s hair, in another piece a dove sits on top the oversized head of a young boy entitled ‘What do you believe in’ can you talk more about the use of birds, and your signature crown motif?
Well, as for the birds, it was contextual. Picasso was the first to use a dove to signify peace. The crowns dignify my subjects, it simply means they are special.
How does your Nigerian heritage influence your work, how important is it to acknowledge that part of yourself?
To be sincere with you, I’m not really proud at this moment to be a Nigerian because of the state of the nation. But there is nothing I can do about it because that’s who I am and I have to express myself and tell my stories in my works. The newspapers speak for themselves. As an artist living in Nigeria, there are more than enough things to talk about or express.
Did you know many black painters when you were growing up?
I was just a comic artist at a young age. I didn’t know about most famous black painters. I knew I got the talent from my dad. When I grew older, I started to know them one by one and get inspired by what they’ve done.
You’re becoming quite an established artist, making beautiful, memorable work. What would you say to other artists burrowing away in their bedrooms making art and wanting a piece of the creative pie?
Well, I am like every other artist out there too. But I would say to them, art is self-expression, make something unique, find a niche. You don’t need to go too far to find it, it’s within you. The beginning isn’t easy but with time you’ll be happy you never stopped.
People in Nairobi as photographed by Kibe Nduni
My name is Kibe Nduni, a photographer based in Nairobi, Kenya. My journey in photography started back in highschool, I'd go out on the weekends with friends and we’d take pictures of each other around town or whatever location that we’d find interesting. I found a lot of joy in photographing people, if they looked a certain way, dressed a certain way as well, this fascinates me as I get an array of really different bodies of work which at the end of the day reminds me why I have this as my career. For now I use a Nikon D750 with a 17-55mm lens but I can use anything.
Being an artist to me, I believe is being the catalyst between the viewer and the story, playing a part in making stories. Themes and ideas coming to life through photography is a joy and a privilege that I am honoured to have. I believe that being truthful is an important part of being an artist. Staying true to yourself as well as to your work is a fundamental part of creating timeless works of art.
Lucy Evans's paintings turns wounds into wisdom
I’m a Ukrainian artist born in Kyiv. I already understood in my childhood that I wanted to be an artist. When I write works I breathe. I graduated from the National Academy of Fine Arts and architecture in 2019 and currently studied in Beaux Arts de Paris.
Art for me is a search, freedom, is an opportunity to speak frankly with the world. In my works, I convey the vulnerability, fragility and at the same time the inner strength of a person. In my work, the soul is the main thing. My paintings often show strength precisely through fragility. I depict a sensitive, tender, fragile, difficult and mysterious world. A person can learn to turn wounds into wisdom, keeping beauty and tenderness in their heart, I think most of my works are about that.
I use different materials but I’m mostly working with oil on canvas.The technique is also very important to me, I’ve been mastering it for a long time, and I still do it, because it’s an endless path of search, which is an integral part of the work.
Being an artist for me is to live a life that is truly authentic to who you are.
Benjamin Murphy has a new show in London: Iconoclasm
British artist Benjamin Murphy presents his latest work at UNION gallery in London. And we couldn't be more excited about it! We’ve known Benjamin since around the time our project ROOMS was being born; he’s always been so passionate about art and the artist community. We’re loving his new work and very much enjoying following his artistic journey.
Benjamin’s current work revolves around the use of charcoal on raw canvas, its challenges and unpredictability. His fascination for this medium is central to his work. And though houseplants and cut flowers are the pictorial protagonists, they are only the medium to explore deeper questions on the limited freedom and controlled existence of these green companions. Faithful to his monochromatic distinctive style, his pieces embrace beauty and chaos, contradictions. But it's their subtle darkness which keeps us as enthralled as unsettled.
We took this opportunity to interview Benjamin and find out more about him.
What made you become an artist? When and how did you decide you wanted to be one?
It was a real accident. I studied art out of a reluctance to join the real world. I enjoyed the freedom from responsibility that art college allowed, and so I went to university in search of more of the same. I then moved to London on a whim and got an unpaid internship at a gallery/events space in Hoxton. It was a perfect combination of that reluctance to get a 'career' and the recklessness needed to forego stability (and money - because this pursuit necessitates many, many years of living in absolute penury). I lived in the gallery and ate poorly, getting used to the discomfort that's unavoidable when you start out on a journey such as this.
I was making work obsessively and I started getting asked to be in small DIY shows around East London. Things just snowballed from there really. It was never the plan.
What does actually being an artist mean to you?
Freedom. Not only the freedom to make what I want to make (which is great), but also the ability to choose how I spend my own time, unbeholden to anyone. That is the greatest thing in the world. I may not be a millionaire in monetary terms, but I am in time. To me that is much more valuable.
As an artist, what do you worry about? Do you ever feel like saying ‘fuck this shit!’?
I've never been a worrier, but artistic block makes me feel under pressure, distressed, and overwhelmed at times. I'm fortunate that I have a few different creative outlets though, so if the artwork just isn't flowing I move on for a while and do some writing or something instead of trying to force it.
I don't think I could ever fully go "fuck this shit" and walk away from it all no. To me it's an obsession that is so linked to my very being that I wouldn't be able to abandon it. It would be like cutting off a limb.
Tell us about the kind of work you are currently doing?
At the moment I'm working in charcoal on raw canvas, embracing the chaos that such a medium presents. The works explore contradictions; delicate flowers with violent mark-making, beauty and chaos, yin and yang etc.
How important are the art materials you use? Are you picky about brands, qualities, etc, or you adapt rather easily to whatever is available?
I use a variation of charcoals. Willow for the sketching out and the edges, compressed charcoal for all the dense black areas, and charcoal pencils for working on paper.
I've been recently making my own charcoal though. Experimenting with different types of woods and different burn durations etc. I'm yet to really nail the process, so I've yet to really use it in my work but it's getting there. Once I've nailed that I'm going to make my own paper too and use the charcoal on it.
Who has been a major influence to you, as a person and artist?
Here's a list: Leo Tolstoy, Marina Abramović, Edvard Munch, Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, Marcel Proust, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Cornelia Parker, Mona Hatoum.
What makes your creative juices flow?
ADHD.
Which artist would you like to go out for dinner with tonight?
I've been out for dinner with Ant Hamlyn, Oli Epp, Peter Doyle, and Conor Murgatroyd a lot in the last year, so maybe I'd just have them all together, ideally somewhere with chilli margaritas.
Is there an artist you’d very much like to read their interview?
Marina Abramović - if you're reading this drop me a line on MSN Messenger and let's plan that two person retrospective.
