“There are issues I’ve faced in the past which I’ve solved. Some I haven’t. So the art I create has the option to ask questions, tell solutions, and for those who are still struggling it helps to keep encouraging them. I just want my art to provoke something when you look at it. It could provoke something bad but I prefer it to provoke something good. ”

— Isimi Taiwo , Nigeria

Tell us about how you decided to become an artist and why?

I've always wanted to be an artist. When I was young, I didn't know art could be a career not just a hobby. While working at my mums supermarket one day, a customer from Nigeria saw me drawing and was amazed. She told me "do you know you can make a lot of money doing the art?" I thought to myself "wouldn't it be great making money doing what makes me happy?"... From then on I started considering taking art as a career but my parents wanted me to become an engineer. I read science subjects throughout, but my passion for the art was still there. I got into the university studying Mechanical Engineering for 5 years before I decided to change to creative art. It was a big decision but I'm glad I did. Art gave me the freedom to express myself and share my experiences especially through the movement I follow - Hyperrealism. I've been developing my skills in this direction for over 11 years now.

What influences you the most when you are in the process of creating a new artwork?

My own experiences influences me the most. There are certain times where other people’s experiences also influence my work but its easier to bring up different ideas when I’m working with mine. My type of Hyperrealism is inspired mostly by emotions after all.

Which artists are you most inspired and influenced by?

I really didn't have any artist that inspired me early in my artistic developments, but as I began my research into Hyperrealism I was in awe of some works by a few magnificent artists. I also delved into art history and was moved by the works of artists like Rembrandt, Sergeant, and John Constable. More recent hyperrealists like Chuck Close and Richard Estes have also caught my attention. Now, there are a lot of artists on Instagram that inspire me. Its almost like everyone is an artist and very good ones at that.

What was or is an artwork you especially enjoyed creating and why?

I love creating a lot of my works because I think hard before I put pencil to paper, but "Facing Fears" and "Engrossed" were unique to me because of the inspiration behind them. Let me talk a bit about "Facing Fears" since it was selected for the exhibition (See|Me’s ‘Represent’, Fall, 2020). "Facing Fears" was inspired by night terror. This happened to my nieces when they were young. Whatever scared them was unclear as it had no particular shape or form while they dreamed in fear. I chose water as the element to represent this fear because water takes the shape of whatever vessel it is contained in. Good news is that my niece overcame her fears with enough encouragement and the understanding that what she saw was not real and she can be brave enough to shout at her fears to leave her alone. Instantly the symbolic image of "Facing Fears" was born which shows my little niece breaking the incoming water with a scream just as she overcame her fears. I believe we all have fears and its best to face them instead of running away from them.

How does your art create meaning or deliver your message?

There are issues I've faced in the past which I've solved. Some i haven't. So the art I create has the option to ask questions, offer solutions, and for those who are still struggling it helps to keep encouraging them. I just want my art to provoke something when you look at it. It could provoke something bad but I prefer it to provoke something good. I've once had someone who viewed my work in a gallery, watching it for several minutes tell me she is glad seeing my work as it has helped suppress her depression. Hyperrealism has a lot to do with narratives and this has given me that extra room to bring meaning to my works. "The Baptism of Caesar", "Caesar’s Euphoria" and "The Rejuvenation" is something of a triptych of the story of how I changed course from mechanical engineering to creative art in my final year at school and life thereafter, and I must sincerely tell you that a number of artists relate to those works because they too have been faced with such experiences in school. Most aspiring artists who see those works reach out to me through email and social media for advice because they are facing the same situation and don't know what to do and I do my best to advice them, which is a good thing. The addition of Surrealism into my works is to create a uniqueness that is still realistic, but also with the intent that viewers perceive my work from a dream-like perspective as some of the underlying ideas have been conjured up from my dreams. In the end, I'm trying to make a beautiful piece with a message about my experience or story in one single shot.

Does your work relate to racial and/or identity themes? If so, how?

I really don't want my works going in that line. There's a lot of criticism there. Not that I can't handle criticism but I just prefer my art to speak to everyone - not a particular set of people only. I already use mainly black people in my works, not because I can't use white people but there's just something striking about water on black skin. Besides, I'm black and in a black community there's so much to explore so I'm most likely going to paint or draw what’s around me. Maybe someday when I travel out of my country and become more exposed, then my notion will change and my art will also be transformed to suit other themes.

Do you aim to create social impact or engender any change in the art world, and the world in general?

Yes I do. I am not really popular at the moment but someday I will be, so what I draw and paint should matter a lot now and in the future as a lot of other artists will eventually be influenced by my works. I hold workshops and hope to someday have an institution where I can raise artists under my own school of thought.

What is the best way to get the word out and make those changes happen?

Social Media, most definitely. This pandemic has really shown how ‘cybernetic’ art and businesses in general can be. I believe if the idea behind the impact is a great, everyone will follow naturally. Of course, asking for support from agencies that control the media space and can catalyze the spread of the impact is also a welcomed solution.

Do you have a dream project? What might that be?

Sure. I'm already working on it. I have a set of works I'm creating under the theme "Interactions with the Joker" which focuses on using the element of water to tell stories, ask questions, and solve problems from its interactions with its subject. You can already this in works like "Facing Fears", "The Rejuvenation", "What my Eyes have Seen", "The Baptism of Caesar", "Engrossed" and so on. I believe it’s a theme with a lot of creative ideas to explore.