In part two of our series, we feature artists who illustrate, paint and sculpt. Hailing from all over the world, the selected artists boldly create art to express their passions.
Despite the various mediums they each choose, they have in common that their artwork provides the outlet for their creative juices. Each shared in their interviews what propels them to do what they do, day in and day out.
Their words are inspiring and their life provides the secret sauce to their artwork.
Check out their work, followed by their words of wisdom. And if you missed Part 1 of our series, click here.
Enjoy!
Christella Bijou | Canada
1) How did you become an artist?
I became an artist because I was curious to see the journey where something that I loved would take me.
2) What inspires you the most in your work?
I’m inspired by shape, photography, beautiful aesthetics and old paintings
3) How is your life and culture expressed in your artwork?
I don’t push my culture or life into my work. I let it come to me naturally. I like not to plan anything and let a mood evolve.
Vincent Fink | United States
1) How did you become an artist?
It seems to be something I arose out of my pupal cocoon born to do. I have been drawing since I was 3 years old and knew I wanted to be the best at it when I saw a kid three times my age come into our day care and draw a ninja turtle way better than I could. I had to get that good, and then, better. Then I became infatuated with music and wanted so badly to do that but found it much harder to depend on others and not lucrative for my style, so I got back into art towards the end of my teenage years and went to art college. I have worked tirelessly throughout my adulthood to catch up and make being the best professional artist I can be, a reality. I work hard every day to keep that dream alive.
2) What inspires you the most in your work?
History, Science, Math, Spirituality, pretty much The Human Experience. The interconnectivity of all these things. I love weaving these common threads together in a multidisciplinary approach to subjects as well as media. Thus, I love exploring beyond drawings and paintings. Multidimensionally, I go from 2D to 3D painted sculptures and into 4D with animations that I project onto immersive, interactive installations using the latest technology.
The most prevalent thread through all of this is my use of Sacred Geometry. I take what I study and inject it into my work so that I can pass on the knowledge. It is an empowering form of healing the world in the best way I can. I think that’s what I always wanted to do. To make people feel inspired in some way. To raise the collective vibration of humankind and become a better person through that process.
3) How is your life and culture expressed in your artwork?
Because I’ve always seen a lot of animalistic traits in people I anthropomorphize them in my latest paintings of Archetypes, part of my Iterations series. I describe each character as if it were a version of myself or someone else that I can aspire to learn from.
Then there’s the insect metamorphosis that, for me, represents the changes we go through mentally as we cycle through periods in our individual lives as well as the cycles of the rise and fall of civilizations. I am currently working on the final stage of The Atlas Metamorphosis project that takes us through the a different ancient civilization for each stage of a giant beetle monarchy. This final stage is actually the Egg stage and is taking a Mesoamerican/Mayan/Aztec motif so it has been fun to study that side of my heritage. My previous piece, Stage 4: God Beetle took place in Medieval Italian cathedrals, and the ones before that explored ancient Egypt and Asia.
I have lived a life of learning, and evolving, so my art will always be a part of that process. I’m excited about what’s next, but I won’t spoil it here, you gotta come along for the ride…
So I’m in it for the long haul. I think a lot of artists are too worried about being cool right now, on social media faking success and not putting the time into what it takes to actually be legendary. It’s important to be here today, but most will burn out and not be remembered. I’m playing the long game. That’s where my head is at.
Adeleke Adekunle | Nigeria
1) How did you become an artist?
I used to draw a lot growing up. However, I think the turning point was about 9 years ago when I first started methodically practicing with the aim to get better at it. I was still a pencil artist at this time. Fast forward to 2013, I was a university student and I lived in a hostel room with 3 other men. I knew I wanted to transition to color but the cost of all the materials together with how I will actually practice in that claustrophobic room was daunting. I cannot recollect how, but I was introduced to digital art around 2013 and you can imagine the relief I felt. I earnestly started practicing and working exclusively digitally sometimes in 2014, and I haven’t looked back since!
2) What inspires you the most in your work?
I cannot say I get inspired from only one source. There are times, I look at the old masters and I say okay, I want to study this and make this style, and then I see some other contemporary artist doing something and I’m blown away and say I like this concept and at the very least, it inspires some doodles. Other times I have an idea from nowhere, it seems, maybe its something I had seen and subconsciously internalized, I really don’t know. The sources of my inspiration change about as frequently as the weather. What I however always tell myself is to remember to make only the things that I truly want to make.
3) How is your life and culture expressed in your artwork?
In my more recent work, you can see almost immediately how much I feature black models and use African wax prints in my art. I like to think it’s where I’m from, bleeding into my work.
