It’s a pleasure to discuss your profound and beautiful work with you. Artists use images to express emotions that are usually left unshared except through what they produce. What one creates reveals something about beliefs and convictions – from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. What do your images communicate about you?
I believe images of this particular visual form of expression allows you to express moods and thoughts you can’t necessary put into words. Almost like an unspeakable language but a relatable one. Creating images are a form of cathartic or therapeutic experience so it almost feels like eating or taking a run. As naturally as it feels, it becomes less of a tasked act and feels more like breathing.
Viewing a film on your process from Adobe UK I was impressed by how well creative direction and post production seamlessly accentuated your frames. Being innately gifted as a self taught photographer, which methods did you utilize to learn both photography and other creative suites for digital editing?
I think being madly interested helped, almost to the point of obsession. It’s almost like asking yourself, how badly must this story be told? Your reaction to that determines how much effort yore willing to put into it. I suppose just being very interested and not being able to do anything else helped. Ideas would always come, it’s how you actively make use of them that counts.
Surrealism and dream are a large part of cinema. Your oeuvre, in my view, could belong to one lengthy film project. If your work were such a living singular narrative (images as stills from an endless film), what would you wish for it to teach viewers about life?
That it’s impermanent. That it moves, that it’s fluid, that theres not much you can control, but you could fully strap on and feel the ride, create from the ride and be fully immersed in the journey.
There is both a seriousness and freedom to how you capture figures, movement plays a fundamental role in your aesthetic voice. With movement in mind, as a leader of the photographic new school, can you give advice on what having the conviction to be unique requires? With this in view, could you discuss how it feels to move an art form forward that has such a grand and solid history?
Haha. Im honoured to have you say that. Honestly. Im just glad I wasn’t too particular about critics and just winged it. Everything is surreal at this point. I’m glad people are inspired, motivated and moved to create, extensively without inhibitions. The journey never ends.
You have been exhibited across the world, and your view being from Lago’s is poignant and vivid to the Western gaze. What are things about your city that are entirely unique to it and that has shaped your approach, but also point of view?
I think being in Lagos gave me that grounding and understanding of the world and history of my part of the world but practically. I spent most of my time growing up in another state in Nigeria; Ogun State which had a bit more of land scapes, open spaces and trees. This sparked a curiosity to create. The serenity, views and the fact that I was technically more grounded with nature.
May I ask what one of your proudest moments as an artist was, and a lessons it tought you that you can now share with others?
I think it would be: just go for it, create. Start from where you are with whatever equipment you have. I started photography with a mid-tier android phone.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has recently arrived as a tool or contender. From it a new medium called Synthography uses typed prompts into AI systems to output near photo real images. Have you had the opportunity to play with this new technology? May I ask your opinion on such tool’s place in creative life?
It’s interesting without a doubt. I don’t know for certain how many jobs it would end up snatching but of course, theres not much we could do about it. Even the creators of these AI platforms would eventually have their jobs taken at the end of the day. Very wild things are happening but amidst all that, we create.
Do you have any words you would like to share with our audience, or any upcoming exhibits or projects you would like to share with us?
Most of my work is published online now and easily accessible to the world and public at large. Constantly grateful for the support, remarks and feedback.
Visit Adeolu Osibodu website: www.adeoluosibodu.com
