Oyindamola Oyewunmi, a ballpoint pen artist, talks about her art journey and what inspires her art.
Oyindamola Oyekemi Oyewumi, a ballpoint pen artist, has caught the attention of Talku Talku. The graduate of Ladoke Akintola University from the department of B.tech Pure and Applied Chemistry is a self-taught artist. I had a chat with Oyindamola and here’s how the conversation went:
How would you describe your art?
I would describe my art as creative and refreshing. I’m a ballpoint pen artist and I make both monotone and coloured realistic art using my pen on paper.
What attracted you to go into your style of art?
I wouldn’t say something, in particular, motivated me. I have always liked drawing so, I decided to try my hand at drawing with pens. I can say that I’ve been drawing since I was pretty little. The process was gradual for me. I grew gradually and I’m still growing and learning. I majorly love drawing using female and children references – I’m a very soft-hearted lady.
I see pictures of women and kids and all I want to do is depict them in a good light. Drawing women makes my art more compassionate and I believe that reflects who I am as a person. I would also add that drawing with a pen is very unique, so I’ll say the uniqueness of the style got me attracted to it.
How did your journey as an artist begin?
Like I said earlier, I have always known how to draw. Even as a kid, I had started drawing. Although I didn’t take it seriously, I still had the passion for drawing. I took it up professionally after drawing my mom’s portrait and uploaded it online. I got a lot of appreciation for that particular work and that made me do more. My mum’s portrait was my first official art piece.
How challenging has the journey been?
The journey has been bitter-sweet, to be honest. One of the major challenges I have had is people underpricing my arts. A lot of Nigerians do not appreciate art. That’s why they under-price artworks.
Secondly, I noticed that not too many people appreciate art here in Nigeria. Even on social media, a lot of people give more audience to a lot of things that are not quite meaningful compared to artworks. Sometimes, I upload my work, and the audience I get is quite discouraging.
You recently presented Actress, Toyin Adetoyin with a drawing that you did of her image. Tell us how that happened.
About Toyin Adegbola, also known as Yeye Toyin Tomato’s art –
After drawing her piece, I sent her a picture of it on social media and she really loved it. So, I told her I would like to present it to her. She approved of it and we arranged to meet.
Even though it took a while for me to present to her, it was a wonderful experience for me because she’s truly a mother. She made me feel so comfortable when I met with her and I appreciate that.
Can you tell us about your piece ‘Pablo Escobar’?
People consider me to be a very soft-hearted girl and I wanted to do something different. Pablo’s drawing is one of my favourites. It doesn’t have to be soft every time. So, I decided to express my hard side as well. That was the inspiration behind ‘Pablo Escobar’.
What is the most challenging piece you have worked on so far and why?
The most challenging piece I have ever worked on is still in progress. It’s pretty big and it’s challenging for me because of the size. This is mainly because I don’t have a studio yet. So, drawing a big sized art piece and wrapping it back up every time, as I don’t have a space of my own yet, is so challenging.
What’s your support system like?
My support is really good. My parents are the true inspirations behind my art. They have never discouraged me.
Also, I promote body positivity with my artworks – I also get inspired to draw nudes. I don’t draw nude art because I promote nudity but I do it because I want every woman to accept her body and love her body just the way it is.
God created us in his own image so there’s no need to feel insecure about anything. We are beautiful the way we are.
What’s your favourite part of being an artist?
My favourite part of being an artist is that I can create anything I love. I also love that I can make people happy with my art. I’m grateful for having a talent that not only makes other people happy but makes me happy too.
What is that one advice that you got and has stuck with you till now?
The advice I got that stuck with me would be “be consistent in whatever thing you do”. The idea of consistency is what keeps me going.
See also: “I Love Pan Africanism and that inspires my art” – Izunna Dike
