Artist Insights: Richard Ayodeji Ikhide

Richard Ayodeji Ikhide is a London-based artist, who works with large-scale watercolours and drawing. He visited Jackson’s Studio to debate his observe, and the way he seeks the intangible qualities of the human expertise via motion and color in his work.

---

 

Artist Insights: Richard Ayodeji Ikhide

 

.embed-container { place: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; peak: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { place: absolute; prime: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; peak: 100%; }

 

Contents

0:00 “I’m attempting to dispel these hierarchies inside portray.”

0:10 “The marks I’m making are fairly intuitive.”

1:12 Introduction

1:30 “Having lived half of my life again house in Lagos, after which dwelling half of my life in England, you get this amalgamation of various experiences.”

3:14 “My method to portray with watercolours is unconventional.”

4:04 “There’s an extended historical past of sequences and sequential narrative, which has advanced into kinds like movie, animation, and video video games.”

5:26 “For me, drawing is essentially about downside fixing.”

6:56 “There’s one thing superb a couple of squirrel brush on scorching press paper – the way in which it strikes and glides throughout the floor is sort of a chef’s kiss. It’s simply unimaginable.”

8:50 “There is no such thing as a mysticism behind the way in which the piece takes form.”

9:09 “That pure pleasure of constructing a line, or portray, or utilizing color, you get misplaced within the movement of the method.”

10:40 “You’re by yourself odyssey, your individual journey, and what which means for you is private.”

12:18 “I really feel like my observe is a type of visible archaeology.”

13:10 “Learning textiles at Central Saint Martins was an expertise very completely different from what I’m doing now.”

14:24 “Color doesn’t simply turn out to be a filler.”

15:43 “The sketchbook is sort of a visible library, a visible grimoire.”

18:00 “I feel there’s one thing liberating about letting go and simply saying, ‘Yeah, I’ll begin once more – it’s not the tip of the world.’”

20:08 “With watercolours, it’s such as you get to a degree the place the paper can’t take any extra.”

20:59 “It’s prefer it’s an intermingling of house life and looking for some semblance of labor.”

23:23 “I could make watercolours a critical medium.”

24:51 “You train a category of individuals, all people sees issues in a different way.”

26:29 “I see artwork as type of like a chart of the human psyche via historical past.”

28:06 Credit

 

 

 

Extract

I’m endlessly fascinated by simply making a line. I do know it sounds easy, however you place a pen on a chunk of paper or a floor, you pull it throughout, you make a line. It’s like, wow, mind-blowing. I begin with a drawing, after which I’m pondering of those completely different topographies.

 

 

The marks I make are fairly intuitive – sure marks could be coming ahead, some could be going again. I transfer out and in of the piece, fascinated about the inner elements of the determine, the self. I take advantage of circles rather a lot; they evoke atoms, the womb, even the world we dwell in – we’re all inside a sphere. It’s a common form that I feel pertains to lots of people, and offers the viewer one thing to meditate on.

 

 

One factor that bothers me is the lack of the non-physical in up to date life, the place every thing feels so targeted on the fabric and fast. I’m drawn to the intangible facet of human expertise – issues we are able to’t absolutely describe or specific. Perhaps it’s a seek for God, or a religious or spiritual observe. I’m fascinated with how the work would possibly specific a few of that.

 

 

My identify is Richard Ayodeji Ikhide. I’m an artist working in drawing and large-scale portray and I’m within the Jackson’s Studio to speak about my observe. In Lagos, Nigeria, 5 years outdated, I began making marks attempting to attract. I drew on the partitions of my grandparents’ home as a result of that’s the place we lived.

 

 

My household is from Sabongida-Ora, a part of the Edo area in Nigeria. The story goes that we descended from one in all Oba’s sons, who left to kind his personal kingdom, so there’s a powerful royal lineage. Edo historical past, together with the Benin Bronzes, textiles, color, and people tales – particularly these my grandfather instructed – have been deeply influential. I now discover myself on this in-between area, having lived half my life in Lagos and half in England.

 

 

You get this amalgamation of experiences – I’m African artwork from throughout the continent, but in addition at artists like El Greco and Blake. There’s this unusual intermingling of cultures, id, and hybridity. It’s been fascinating to convey each side of who I’m into the work and discover these connections.

 

 

My method of portray with watercolours isn’t a traditional technique or method of working with the medium. I discovered my very own specific method that entails mark-making and putting colors subsequent to one another to kind a determine or kind the physique. I’m fascinated about traces, the place I’m putting issues, how the determine sits on the web page or on a floor.

 

 

I’m making marks which are fairly intuitive. Historically, watercolours are additionally seen as drawings, after which they’re painted at a small scale, however I’m portray at a scale which isn’t essentially seen with watercolours.

 

 

I had an older cousin who would convey me comics, together with an anthology of Superman comics from the 80s. I bear in mind studying it to the purpose the place it was in items, so we’d learn bits of it. So it was fairly fascinating, then it turned nearly type of like an outdated artifact in itself, because it was all torn and tattered. I’d have these lined notebooks I’d use at school, and that’s what I’d be drawing in a number of the time. In Lagos, in secondary faculty, my mates and I had been all actually fascinated with drawing, so I’d make knockoff Sonic the Hedgehog comics for my mates at school and I’d prefer to promote them.

 

 

From fairly an early age, I type of engaged in the concept that the sequence is kind of fascinating for me, like being obsessive about comics. There’s an entire type of lengthy historical past of the sequences, sequential narrative, and the way that develops into issues like movie, animation, video video games, all that form of stuff. I really feel like every iteration is only a improvement of a core thought, which we’ve been type of chasing as human beings for a really, very very long time.

 

 

When it comes to drawing medium, proper now I like to make use of a fountain pen. I take advantage of this pencil fountain pen, which I’ve been drawing with fairly a bit. I simply love the usual 3B, 4B, 5B, to 6B graphite pencils – excellent. I’ve additionally been drawing with a pen, identical to a writing pen, rather a lot. As a result of there’s a pleasant movement you get with ballpoint pens. I’m usually pressed for time somewhat bit. So okay, fast fast, I have to get this drawing down, and I’m not pondering as a lot – the marks are there and might’t be modified.

 

 

I’m additionally utilizing a number of dip pens for drawing as a result of I’ve been obsessive about them. I’ve been a number of work by artists resembling Tiepolo, particularly his etchings. I used to be in Venice final yr, so I bought to entry some archives in Venice to take a look at a number of the prints.

 

 

For brushes, I’ve been utilizing squirrel brushes from Professional Arte as I discover they actually choose up the pigment. However squirrel brushes solely go as much as a sure vary, so should you’re filling in a big space, it’s going to take ages. So I’ve been utilizing Chinese language calligraphy brushes as a result of you will get them fairly giant as properly.

 

 

I largely use tubes of watercolour by Winsor & Newton. I want I may get watercolour tubes which are larger than the tiny ones as a result of I work on such a big scale. For paper, I take advantage of solely scorching press. In the meanwhile, I purchase rolls of Saunders Waterford Scorching Pressed Watercolour Paper from Jackson’s. It’s simply an incredible feeling whenever you use a squirrel brush on scorching press paper, the way in which the comb strikes and glides throughout the floor. The paper must be round 300 or 400 gsm as a result of the paper additionally must be fairly thick and take a number of working, particularly should you’re going to make use of watercolours and a number of water.

 

 

Coming to England was an fascinating expertise. In Nigeria, due to British colonisation, there’s this unusual fusion – you develop up with British and American TV, and the tradition displays each influences. One humorous second was visiting the British Museum and pondering, Oh wow, these are the issues my granddad instructed me about – now displayed and celebrated as main items of African historical past.

 

 

Going to school and assembly folks from completely different backgrounds was fascinating. Then at college, the scope widened much more – I stepped out of 1 cultural zeitgeist and into a much wider world. That shift expanded my sense of chance: how I see myself, how we think about, and the way we discover factors of connection throughout cultures. That’s actually what I’m attempting to discover once I reference completely different artefacts or traditions – perhaps it’s a bit utopian or idealistic. I see every particular person’s life as a fantasy of its personal, a person odyssey, and I’m fascinated with what it means to mythologise your self via that journey.

 

 

One factor I discovered was that most of the figures I used to be working with appeared to embody a type of androgyny – this concept of the anima or animus, the female or masculine counterparts of the psyche. It’s fascinating to me how these characters embody two completely different halves. Perhaps that’s me attempting to grasp a facet of myself and the way that performs into who I’m as a person, as a result of I really feel like a number of the characters and figures I’m working with are all variations of myself. Additionally, this concept that we’re the bodily physique, however the bodily physique is how we expertise the world round us as properly. Notion is completely different based mostly on the context of the place you’ve grown up. We are able to each stroll down a selected street, however my expertise of the street shall be completely different from anyone else’s.

 

 

Learning textiles at Central Saint Martins was an expertise very completely different from what I’m doing now. I had this entire grand plan of going into menswear. However, you realize, as with life, every thing modifications. Loads of what I used to be doing there was geared extra in the direction of visible artwork. I saved working into points with tutors as a result of I used to be not essentially making textiles.

 

 

In my closing yr, I used to be working with screenprinting on linen, which is kind of fascinating as you would possibly find yourself utilizing like eight completely different screens to create a print. So this concept of layering was fairly fascinating. And I assume it’s one thing that’s fed into working with watercolours, notably as a result of I’m coping with these concepts of transparency and build up layers of color.

 

 

My concepts round color additionally stemmed from this era; I may take a few of these concepts round color, sample, and texture into the work. I’ve sure go-to colors I really like with regards to watercolours: Cadmium Pink, Cadmium Yellow, Sensible Purple, Cobalt Blue, and Cobalt Teal.

 

 

Working with watercolours and gouache is fascinating – gouache particularly brings this sort of insanity, an actual zing to the color. The luminosity and brightness could be putting, particularly when layering translucent washes with one thing matt or daring. It impacts how your eyes transfer out and in of the piece. Color isn’t only a filler; I’m additionally fascinated about the emotional associations and the way the temperature of a color shapes what the viewer feels and sees.

 

 

When it comes to transferring my observe right into a high-quality artwork path, this occurred after I’d left Central Saint Martins. I did a couple of textile internships and it wasn’t for me. I’d seen a brochure for the drawing yr, which was run by the Royal Drawing College. And I assumed this was how I may transition right into a high-quality artwork observe.

 

 

The large focus on the Royal Drawing College is on observational drawing, which was one thing I wasn’t doing a number of on the time as a result of I used to be drawing from my creativeness. I bear in mind going for my interview and the tutor mentioned, “Okay, that is fascinating,” however steered that drawing extra from statement may actually strengthen the imaginative concepts I used to be exploring. One of many massive takeaways for me was the significance of discovering your individual path, whereas additionally recognising that, as an artist, you’re not simply on this bubble, you’re additionally linked to this line of artists who’ve come earlier than you.

 

 

And you then begin to discover your mates, and also you begin to discover these artists who you’ll be able to depend on. I used to be inspired to develop my observe and to consider it in numerous methods. The expertise simply type of gave me that respiration room. Drawing for me is a number of downside fixing. “Okay, there are figures right here, what are they doing? In relation to this different factor within the background, how does that each one work?” And it’s the interaction of those completely different parts coming collectively as an entire.

 

 

The sketchbook is a visible library; it’s the place I preserve all these references or pictures or issues I can type of pull from to affect the work. I’ve been conserving sketchbooks since I used to be a child, they usually’re central and paramount to my observe.

 

 

To grasp a selected pose, and if I really feel like I’m not likely getting it, I’ll simply assume the pose myself, simply to see how that feels. I’ve been utilizing my palms lots, as a result of I’d need a determine to do a selected hand gesture. So I’ll take a fast picture of my hand doing that gesture, after which I’ll do the drawing.

 

 

After I’m making work, I’m in this sort of meditative movement state, and I’m doing issues that typically I can’t clarify. I feel working with the medium I work with, watercolours, is usually a bit unforgiving. When you make a mark on the paper, that’s it. So going into that course of, you need to be actually locked in to type of contain your self.

 

 

After I have a look at a chunk, I ask myself, “What sort of intention am I bringing to this?” I need to see the hassle, the ability, the meticulousness, that sense that one thing is being pursued. It’s not about searching for approval; it’s about displaying that I’m actually working in the direction of one thing. Though I’m making it within the studio, finally it’ll exit into the world to be seen and skilled by others. So I take into consideration the way it will really feel for another person. If I’m not absolutely current or intentional, I won’t really feel assured within the work. And perhaps that comes throughout when it’s being considered.

 

 

When it comes to figuring out when an art work is completed, as soon as I’ve my colored banded border across the piece and the traces holding the determine, the piece is completed. As a result of I’ve a system, I type of know when the piece is completed. Clearly there are moments the place issues could be overdone and I’m like, “Oh, God, I can’t pull that again.” So, with watercolours, it’s such as you get to a degree the place the paper can’t take anymore, so you need to be very cautious. For the previous two years, I’ve been fairly busy by way of work and exhibits. So it’s like, okay, I have to get this factor prepared for this specific time. In order that’s been a motivator by way of simply getting myself into the method and being concerned.

 

 

My present studio area is a second bed room at house. Proper now, there are child toys on the ground, my supplies, my shelf of books, and my video video games. It’s a house studio, with an intermingling of house life and attempting to get some semblance of labor. However yeah, that’s in between diaper modifications and all the opposite duties of being a mother or father. However I’ve been doing drawings with my daughter not too long ago, in order that’s been fairly enjoyable. It’s tough proper now as a result of my accomplice began working once more, so we’re like, “OK, you’re going to work? OK, I’ll take her, watch her for a couple of hours.” And yeah, so it’s not simple.

 

 

My outdated studio was in Mayfair, so one factor I used to like doing was taking place to Gosh Comics. I’d purchase some comics from time to time, as a result of I prefer to preserve a stack of comedian books within the studio. I can simply type of learn and reference, identical to a little bit of a mind refresh and decompression for myself. After which most likely have about three, 4 work on the go on the similar time. So, working throughout a couple of completely different pictures. It was cozy, to have a comfy area is type of like a fortress of solitude, simply to type of sit there, hone in, delve into work and type of like, yeah, have my time. Sure days, like if I’ve a deadline, I’m working in the direction of one thing, I’m like, okay, yeah, attending to this dude, simply begin making work. But when it’s perhaps extra like a daily day, I’d most likely spend the primary hour or two simply chilling.

 

 

Now I procrastinate much less, I feel simply because time is valuable. I could make a dent on this piece of labor, and the way I see it, it’s like, you realize, little drops might come out of the ocean. So I’m like, okay, I perform a little bit in the present day, somewhat bit, somewhat bit, somewhat bit, after which earlier than you realize it, a chunk is completed. Particularly with having a baby now, if I’ve a time period to make work, it’s like go, go, go, I have to get this accomplished. Lately, I’ve been feeling like I want pure mild, particularly when coping with wealthy watercolour pigments and gouache pigments.

 

 

Music is an enormous type of factor for me within the studio. Loads of the time I’d simply watch documentaries, you realize, so I’d have one thing within the background, perhaps documentaries on historic civilizations, aliens, all types of stuff. In the meanwhile, I’m portray to child sounds. In a traditional studio setting, I take heed to music lots. My favorite might be a hip-hop artist like MF Doom as a result of he has fairly vibrant imagery by way of how he raps and talks about narrative.

 

 

When it comes to influences, Kerry James Marshall stands out – he mainly began a complete motion in figurative portray. Then there’s Ernst Fuchs, an unimaginable Viennese artist who labored with the Mischtechnik, exploring Jewish mysticism, metaphysical concepts, and historic themes.

 

 

I additionally actually admire Dürer for his world-building and the way in which he creates wealthy narratives inside his work. One other key determine is Hendrik Goltzius, an engraver identified for his extremely detailed and meticulous items. Hieronymus Bosch is one other one who I discover fascinating, particularly for watercolours. I used to be an artist known as Yoshitaka Amano, he’s a Japanese artist, however he was making a number of character designs and idea artwork for a online game collection known as Last Fantasy. He primarily works inside water-based mediums, like watercolours.

 

 

I’ve been educating a course at a Royal Drawing College known as World Imagery, and I additionally train one other mythology course on the faculty. Simply the analysis alone – planning a category and delivering materials to college students – means I’m continuously studying within the course of. I’m a facilitator, you realize, I’m serving to to facilitate this specific pupil or particular person to search out one thing for themselves. One factor I’m all the time cautious about with schooling and educating is that I don’t need to be an overbearing affect. It’s nice to present info to a pupil after which they develop their very own method of seeing issues.

 

 

Scientists are nonetheless exploring the origins of human consciousness – what we’re, who we’re – and that overlaps with the extra mysterious elements of human expertise. I’ve all the time been fascinated with these concepts and the way they take form via artwork. Particularly in historic artwork, you see religious ideas being expressed as a method to attain past the bodily and into one thing extra ethereal. Loads of the problems inside the world are that we focus a lot on the bodily and the fabric side. Perhaps we are able to assume extra in regards to the essence of who we’re, past bodily issues like wealth, pores and skin color, gender, all that form of stuff.

Observe Richard Ikhide on Instagram

 

 

---

 

Additional Studying

A Information to Watercolour Portray

Growing a Every day Drawing Follow with the Royal Drawing College

Brush Pens: The Definitive Information

Recreating the Color Palette of Eric Ravilious

 

Store Artwork Supplies on jacksonsart.com

 

The publish Artist Insights: Richard Ayodeji Ikhide appeared first on  Jackson's Artwork Weblog.