49th Exclusive: Brushstrokes, an interview with street artist; Adeoye Lovely.

by Olabisi B.

Took a mini tour around the streets of Lagos and I met quite a number of new faces. Shedding a special spotlight on an artist I met during my adventure, meet Adeoye Lovely (@/adeoyelovely Instagram) an artist who has held on to art for as long as he can remember. A virtuoso of street art, he breathes vibrant life into the monotonous streets, using his creativity to transform ordinary walls into mesmerizing masterpieces.

Watching his dad (@/lanke_adeoye Instagram) who is an abstract artist, inspired him to venture into the world of art too. He only professionally began painting at age fifteen, and has found solace in art as a medium of expression.

We spoke at length while he worked on a new mural, discussing how much art means to him while also giving insight on questions I threw at him. Here’s an excerpt from our conversation:

Are there any specific artists, art movements, or cultural influences that have inspired your work?

Just my dad, actually, just my dad. His art requires a lot of thinking and just sucks your attention. He employs pointillism in his works, and I’m greatly inspired by him. 

Can you describe your creative process? How do you approach the development of a new artwork or project?

My creative process na normal thing. Actually, no be normal thing, but you get my point lol. My creative process largely depends on the medium I want to make use of. There are times when I want to work on paper, a canvas, or a rough surface; my process for each of them varies, the same way my approach differs.

How do you choose the mediums and techniques you use in your art? Do you experiment with different materials, or do you have a preferred medium?

I don’t have a preferred medium; I’m a general artist and work with any and every medium. I hate being limited to a single medium. I feel like when I can add this and this to make my work look better, why would I stick to just one?

Are there any challenges or obstacles you have faced as an artist? How have you overcome them?

Obstacles plenty o. When it comes to reviews, people you look up to completely put down your work without a single word of encouragement or support, going straight up to say, “this thing wey you draw nobody go buy am o..”. Getting sales is tough, too, because I might need to purchase materials, and I can largely do that through the profit I make from the sales. Overcoming all of this requires a lot of patience, and that’s what keeps me going.

Can you share a particularly memorable or significant moment in your artistic career? What made it so meaningful to you?

Yeah, I can, but it’s a very sad memory. I hold onto this memory because it pushes me to work harder on myself. Alibaba held a competition that was held at Eko Hotel. I had to put in my last cash to get tickets and settle it all. The judging process threw me off and just made me sad because I had put in everything, from time, energy, and resources. I thought about it all and concluded that life really isn’t what it seems, and I need to stick out more for myself.