I haven’t met anyone who has seen Oresegun Olumide’s artworks and haven’t said whao! I have seen people argue and say “did he paint this for real or is it just another camera shot picture?” His unique inventiveness has startled many people while others are constantly stunned at the excellence of his paintings and his attention to details. Olumide’s use of his creativity in painting water is next to none, a trait which is chore in most of his works.
With such outstanding works, little wonder his social media figures runs in its thousands with over 40,000 Instagram followers, over 7,000 likes on his Facebook page, great followership on twitter to mention a few. He was recently interviewed on CNN. Indeed, Olumide is living his dream!
“I have always loved playing with papers and tape, from when I could decipher my left from my right. I have always loved to draw and my parents encouraged me by giving me jotters and drawing books.” Says the Yaba College of Technology graduate.
Olumide had always wanted to be an artist, he had always known the path he was going to tread “My first choice was Fine Arts but I never had people who were really deep into it that I could go and learn from however, when I realised it was taught in YabaTech, I jumped at it and I have no regrets”
Olumide describes his art as ‘hyper realistic’ “I call it so because it is real. It is more detailed. I try to detail what people don’t see. I take it to another level. I take it beyond the norm.” He tells me.
Olumide’s artworks are so authentic it’s amazing. I asked how he does this with perfection and he responds saying “I don’t have any other job I am doing, I wake up early in the morning and after doing my chores I resume in my studio and stay they till late at night, I’ve been painting right from when I left school. Something you do daily and consistently, you become a master of it”.
Sharing further on his artworks, he says “my painting depends on what people want. I do several things. Sometimes I refer to a photograph picture and paint. I try to do my best by bringing life into whatever I paint, I arrange items in front of my books and I paint what I see. It’s when I am tired that I stop and have a break. But if you are painting a person and the person decides to have a break, you will be forced to have a break.” Says Olumide.
Oresegun has been painting for over 8years but amazingly people really got to know about him in recent times. Hear his take on this “I have been posting works on social media right from 2008 but strangely of recent, I posted two works that I wanted to exhibit and I started receiving calls from everywhere. Time certainly has its way of showing up when it’s due”
I inquired from Oresegun who he desires most to paint and his list says it all “I will love to paint President Buhari, Aliko Dangote, the Senate President and several other distinguished personalities”
Artworks have esteemed value in the western world and some parts of Africa. Olumide is however not convinced that they are effectively valued in Nigeria. “Right now, the economy is bad besides; people do not really value artworks in Nigeria. It is challenging. Some do not see the value in purchasing unique artworks when according to them; they can go to the market, buy any artwork and decorate their homes and offices. There are few who understand the terrain but they are few.” Says Olumide.
Oresegun’s challenges range from finance to materials used for his works “some materials we use are imported. We don’t have a particular company. We keep on buying imported and expensive materials. I wish there is a way those products can be gotten here.”
For everyone who has the passion for the Arts and is discouraged, Olumides says “You must remain passionate. Passion holds you up even when lack of finance weighs you down. When you have passion, the more you work hard, the more you grow. It is not rocket science and it doesn’t just happen suddenly, you grow in it. When you have passion, even in the midst of your storm, you will prevail”
On his recent CNN interview, Olumide is grateful to God for the exposure. “For the first time I was being interviewed by CNN. If someone had told me this would happen perhaps I would have doubted but God indeed has a plan for my life. In His time, He makes all things beautiful”
Kemi Ajumobi
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