Today we’d like to introduce you to Oscar Joyo.
Oscar, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I’m a multidisciplinary artist based here in Chicago. I’m originally born in Malawi but I made my way to South Africa briefly which was where I got into art by my mother. She use to draw these simple teddy bears that I copied all the time but I then became fascinated with what was on my television screen. From Rugrats, Ed’ Edd’ n Eddy to Power Rangers and Tarzan, I tried my hardest to emulate what I saw. Even when I was outside, I’d draw on the dirt while playing with my friends.
It was until I moved here to South Bend, Indiana when I really fell in love with drawing, I drew from a lot of inspiration from anime and film like Dragon ball Z to Sam Raimi’s Spiderman and it evolved to more sophisticated art by people like Keith Haring, Alex Ross, Kehinde Wiley, and James Jean. Even in school as I got older, I drew in between classes as a means to create what I loved as well as means to escape the monotony of school life. I got noticed in my school for my skills as an artist besides my height but I didn’t really take it too seriously. It wasn’t until my art teachers took notice and encouraged me to pursue a career in the arts that I ended up taking my art very seriously. I went from drawing anime all the time to creating more surreal visual scapes. Something I do more often to this day. It was a shock to my family knowing that I wanted to continue this path as an artist. Coming from an African family, doing something in the arts is not as common however they were encouraging and extremely supportive in my decision especially after seeing the awards, recognition, and how I effected people in our African community.
After high school, I decided to attend art school at American Academy of Art to get a stronger grasp of my technique and strengthen my concepts. It opened me to more forms of art that I ended up using like digital painting & design but I was able to find people that I belonged to which was invaluable to my creative journey. Fast forward to now, I draw almost every day since it’s something I love to do. It’s like breathing for me and I’m able to discuss topics, ideas, and points of view with my work.
My goal in life with my work is not only to be understood through my work but to inspire future people to go into the arts. I see how creative we are, what we can do, especially since coming from Africa I want to see more of us discovering and creating visuals of their own, knowing they have a path in the field if they choose. I want not only Africans but anyone, no matter their age, ethnicity, or belief that art is for everyone and you can create anything.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
The work I do is Afrofuturist/Afrosurrealist with elements of representational art spliced within it As far as medium I use almost all of what I can get a hold on but I use pastels, which to me is a great balance to painting, only with dry media instead of wet. On the other hand, I use painting with a Wacom tablet and stylus for more streamlined or work to be done in a quicker pace.
Even though I go back and forth with these mediums, the consistent subject matter(s) are people of colour and I render them into vibrant, neon like portraits surrounded by distinct African inspired patterns as a call back to my African heritage.
I was inspired by this neon approach because of the words, BLACK, COLOUR(ED). I believe we are more than that, we are full of colour, kaleidoscopic even and the stories we tell and the personalities we have are something I really wanted to play around with in different contexts. I rarely have people the a realistic colour palette, not because it’s boring but I just feel like there is something more to discover about the subject matter. When I do so, it is a nice change of pace but I do love the vibrance that comes of a painting because in a way, it feels like you know the person in the portrait.
I want people to either identify with the person in the portrait, get lost in the painting’s environment, or scratch their heads (laughs) however I want them to understand why I choose to render who I paint in a vibrant palette.
My work varies from a straight forward illustration to a wild, vivid, animated piece. I explore many avenues with what I’m given which has granted me a lot of opportunities to think outside the box when I work. A drawing one day can be animated or cut up/rearranged. In the end, it’s gonna be kaleidoscopic for anyone who sees my work.
Have things improved for artists? What should cities do to empower artists?
I believe the current decade has been very beneficial for artists. It’s easier to connect with a variety of people all over the world and it’s convenient to get out there. Especially in the realm of social media, making it very possible to get noticed by others.
There is a flip to that, being that the algorithm can be unfair for newer artists trying to break in to the space. You have to have a lot of followers, engagements, likes, shares, etc. to get noticed in the internet. In the real world, some spaces aren’t inclined on taking in newer artists, and you have to do a lot of public engagement.
Honestly, what we can do is support the artists either by buying prints, work, and/or commission them for something to liking, sharing, commenting, and promoting their work. It’s important to do that in the age of the internet since it can land you a job, a gig, or a client willing to support you financially.
Also, patreon is preeeeetty handy.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I have plenty of places for anyone to see my work. I have my website, www.oscarjoyoart.com which has my most up to date work in high resolution. However, if you are interested in my process or behind the scenes, my Instagram (oscar_joyo), tumblr, twitter, art station (oscarjoyo) will provide you with some insights what I do in between projects.
Honestly, by just sharing and being active with me is always fun. I love interacting with people.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.oscarjoyoart.com
- Phone: 5743864672
- Email: oscarjoyoart@yahoo.com
- Instagram: www.instragram.com/oscar_joyo
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thisisoscarjoyo
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/oscarjoyo
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCneefkgZojDLF1agrE8XvBg?view_as=subscriber?&ab_channel=OscarJoyo
Image Credit:
Horizontal profile credit:CodeInc1 Art credit:Oscar Joyo
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