Meet E.d Adegoke | Artist, writer and poet

We had the good fortune of connecting with E.d Adegoke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi E.d, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Making papers in human form and giving them names as representing human characters in complement to man’s everyday life, my interest in Art started long ago since I was a kid, I can’t remember the age precisely; I make Art with papers, I draw characters from comic books and characters from animations. I was so good at drawing, I draw so well all my colleagues at high school knew and loved me for it. And immediately after finishing high school, I went on to learn Art from an Artist whose home studio was close to the high school I graduated from. Johnmary by name. With him I learnt how to draw basically with charcoals and pastel chalks, he mostly specializes in life drawing and pastel painting, he was a skillful and talented Artist who really inspired me to make Art and why Art is a more than just a talent. Shortly after my time with Johnmary at the Bucephalus studio, my father who has a rich interest in my creative ability sponsored my solo career as a beginner Artist and gradually I’ve been growing with time, Art has really given me life, a real life. I believe Art is an intermediary between Man and his Aesthetic feelings, Art to me is a mouthpiece. I honestly don’t know what I’d have been doing if I wasn’t making Art. Art is my therapy and essence, Art makes life meaningful to me when everything fails, making Art is a prayer that help me rekindle my hope. This is the only thing I know how to do best!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Art I believe is an intermediary between Man and his aesthetic feelings. Art is a real job honestly, and this is what so many people are yet to realize that even though our work life and lifestyle is different, Art is a real job. I’ve been through different phases and era in the Art stages, I’ve practiced with various mediums and rendered Art is multifaceted styles which includes; Drawing, painting (Abstract & figurative), relief sculptures and conceptual works and I’ve had couple of exhibitions and solo exhibitions on this journey of self discovery so far as an Artist. But lately I’ve been so drawn to depth, I mean going deep with things and I’m referring to all criteria of my existence as a being. The kind of Art I’m doing now is like a calling “God’s calling” something I find very special and unique in my own words. It took me a lot of thought process before I finally stumbled on this concept of creativity, I’m certain this is very special to me, I’ve never felt so special as an Artist, the kind of Art I’m making now gives me so much joy, the creative process sometimes makes me shed tears like I never felt I could do something so real I believe it is a result of evolution but you know it’s one this for the Artist to give chances and also want to evolve.

As a practicing and professional Artist, Art I believe is all about two things; Practice and period. These are the most important things in the profession of Art. Practice which how you make Art, the activity of your work as an Artist and all that your work entails. Then period which is the documentation of your practice, the kinds of work you make at a particular period of time, season and era like in response or in records to certain events such as; war, personal life events, natural disaster and so on. All these factors are what defines an Artist and through which his essence is known. Like Pablo Picasso’s blue period which was about paintings of some personal events of his life sad moments and the great American painter Leon Golub’s Vietnam war paintings. My utmost challenges during my early stages as an Artist was affording Art supplies which are very expensive but I’ve gradually overcome that with time. I buy my Art supplies in bulk when I sell my paintings, even when I sell one painting, I make sure I buy alot of materials the reason is because I do not want to go through the stress of thinking about sorting out for materials. My kind of Art requires a lot of thinking process which is enough engagement for me already. Secondly is trying to promote my Art; showing myself as an Artist for possible opportunities of more exhibitions in reputable galleries that will understand and appreciate my mission as an Artist, as I’m currently looking forward to the opportunity of an Art residency in a good and reputable gallery also. I try as much as possible to engage my social media audience and people around me, my immediate environment and everyone who knows me as an Artist in my creative process. I try to bring them into my Art, understanding me as an Artist, my thoughts, my ideology and what I think of life. I believe this my job as an Artist it my style and mission for I believe Art is about humanity.

I perceive art as an intermediary between man and his aesthetic feelings, while I perceive the aesthetic feelings as the way nature treats man. My works are about faith, humanity, social ills and matters that I am passionate about. I, the artist, through my messenger, my art, do lay emphasis on humanity, a virtue and mortal circumstance that is going extinct. I, the artist, channels the use of my mouthpiece, my art, for Mankind to propagate the need to bring positive and progressive change, freedom, human rights, equality, love and understanding its essence and also bringing us out of every setback we might have ignorantly caused ourselves. Its role doesn’t end by enabling transformation alone, as it is also a repelling agent against all things that don’t favor humanity like our evangelised materialism and our prideful and excessive egoism.

My art is about man’s society. The man’s society is not developing, and this is because it works on an alien system. Asides making art for aesthetic reasons or for the love of art, I also believe in making works about the struggles that are related with people’s existence which are psychological, sociopolitical, economical, spiritual and artistically, i.e I endeavor to portray the idea of the people’s environment in my art. Hence, art to me is all about the representation of what is happening in the life of a people at a particular period of time. As far as Africa is concerned, with this yardstick, art can not just be only for aesthetics, art must be for the imminent, needed and inevitable revolution. That’s an integral category art would work in, in Africa’s particularly peculiar situation. I have chosen acrylics and mixed media as my means of expression because of the freedom and reach it affords me, as it makes available to the artists the freedom to touch on various media with diverse textures to convey tons of messages that is liable to influence the perusers.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love being anywhere I can see water somewhere like the beach, stream, flowing lake and all. There’s this phenomenal connection I’ve for water, it gives me inspiration and makes me think about the fluidity of our humanity, how we’re everywhere all around the world moving and multiplying one of dreams is to live in an environment where I can always have access to this natural water like having a house beside or behind beaches or rivers. I love the Kentucky fried chicken, I love the crispy taste of their chicken I and my friend Abifola often visit there while going on exhibitions in Lagos. I enjoy reading too, I can confidently say I’ve read over a hundred books both Afrikan and western writers. I mostly enjoy reading books written by Afrikan writers because it gives me the idea about our civilization, our cultural evolution and history. My favorite genre of book is nonfiction especially memoirs and biographies. I’ve read some Soyinka’s memoir like; Penkelemesi “Ibadan years”, Donald wood’s Biko, The country is hard by Niyi Òníòrórò and Chinua Achebe’s personal story of Biafra “There was a country” and I’m currently working on publishing my own memoir “Songs of Hope” which is my first major book as I’m looking forward to a noble publishing house that’d appreciate and publish it. The book I’m reading now is “The freedom Artist” a book by Ben okri. Another thing I love to do is walk my dog stumpy, a 9 months old brindle pug. Stumpy is quite a special dog to me, she’s one of the thing that gives hope as she makes have such feeling that nothing is so serious She has an even and stable temperament, great charm, and an outgoing, loving disposition. I walk her mostly in the morning and in the evening, she’s so much energy and all my friends love her.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Abifola olorunlana @abifola_ (Instagram)
@abifolaolorunlana@gmail.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/e.d_adegoke?igshid=MDM4ZDc5MmU=

Youtube: https://youtu.be/oRkq5v52dcU

Other: https://youtu.be/g33DKSOvp6Q https://youtu.be/VsLyZPysUdg https://youtu.be/49F8qZAw6aY https://contemporaryand.com/exhibition/busayo-lawal-and-e-d-adegoke/ https://www.artsy.net/artist/ed-adegoke?__cf_chl_tk=eru6iOOs.bz0RP1LiHZwJMJzsdTw9GT4L2H4QlWA_18-1677365828-0-gaNycGzNCuU https://www.fij.ng/author/e-d-adegoke https://saharareporters.com/people/ed-adegoke https://www.artandaboutafrica.com/events/lagos/the-age-of-dreams-by-e-d-adegoke/

Image Credits
Abifola olorunlana