By Sophia Afolayan
The journey to fulfillment across every path of life begins beneath the spotlight, and this article documents the journey of ArtbySakoa, a visual artist and painter whose limelight is yet to come but well on its way. Enjoy!
49th: How old were you when you started painting?
ArtbySakoa: I started painting in 2023 when I was 23…How old am I now? (Laughs) I was 24!
49th: So, was it something you always wanted to do? Was it like a talent you just honed?
ArtbySakoa: I had actually never painted prior to that. I used to draw only. I loved to draw and then I just decided, I think out of boredom to see if I could do this, and I started and I have not been able to stop.
49th: Did you know you were going to make a career out of this?
ArtbySakoa: No! I was so in denial, oh my god! I kept denying it for such a long time because I did not want to be a starving artist, and art is not a very stable source of income. Stability is something I need for my mental health, so I kept telling myself it was a hobby and that I was going to keep my actual job.
49th: What was your real job at that time?
ArtbySakoa: I was working in tech as a UX designer, then I made a switch to cybersecurity.
49th: Did you switch out of tech and into art on a whim, or was it a fully thought-out switch you made
ArtbySakoa: So, at first, I told myself this was only going to be part-time and that I would always have a stable job. But I was going through my notes, one from about ten years ago, when I was still a teenager, and I saw that I wrote, ‘I want to be an artiste.’ It then felt like I was taking this opportunity away from my younger self because hey, now I’m an artiste and I want to sideline it.
(Fair enough.)
49th: Do you think there’s anything in particular that makes you stand out from other artists, like, say, your style, your process, or the textures you incorporate?
ArtbySakoa: I feel like there will always be similar elements because we probably get our inspiration from the same source, but I use a lot of colours. I never want my art to look unhappy or sad. I always make sure to incorporate a lot of colours because my real life already has a lot of…interesting things to make me feel upset, angry, and sad. And I just want my art to be consistently happy. That could be something I haven’t really seen. Also, the way in which I paint women, I only paint women and nature. The way I paint women is rather unique.
49th: Is there a political statement to your art-
ArtbySakoa: YES.
49th: Wow. (Laughs) What defines the politics of your art?
ArtbySakoa: Oh my gosh, I can talk about this forever. So, I paint women without faces for a reason. The first is because when you paint a person, if the image is smiling, frowning, and has a neutral expression, you can still define that. And in defining, you are limiting.
I do not paint faces because I do not want the women to be labeled. I don’t want you to see a smiling woman, a frowning woman, no. I just want you to see a woman. I think women are so complex, and we have so many different layers to us, and we should focus on all that instead of her face’s ugly, she’s beautiful, all of that. I try to take away what defines those things and makes your focus just be on her as a woman.
49th: Is that something influenced by your real-life environment? What’s the inspiration behind that choice?ArtbySakoa: Growing up, I was a very shy child. I spoke to nobody, and I had no friends. I have outgrown that in a way, but I still keep to myself, and I don’t want to be figured out or perceived. I kind of projected that onto my art. I want every person seeing my art to have their different opinions, and that’s it.
49th: So, what’s the message you want to pass across to anybody who would see your art?
ArtbySakoa: There is beauty in not being figured out, and there is beauty in being complex and mysterious. I paint in series, so the collection I am working on now is about beauty and adornment through the African lens. It’s not like we don’t have our own history, but unlike Greek mythology, which has so much documented, we don’t have anything much to show or things preserved in time. That’s what I’m trying to do. Also, even if your art is not understood by anyone but you, it’s still beautiful and unique.
49th: What are some challenges you think have come with being an artist in general? From the female perspective to the African perspective.
ArtbySakoa: People want to feel strong emotions when they look at your art. They want to feel so much passion, and I just want to make art that makes you feel good and happy. Also, I noticed that a lot of people don’t take my art seriously because they are not looking at it and seeing a widow crying over her only child, who is now dead.
They don’t see struggle, pain, and anger, and I don’t paint that. People believe art should make you feel really strong emotions, not necessarily negative, but yeah. People have not really taken my art seriously because it’s just girls. Someone told me once that my art was too ‘girly.’
49th: People think art should not be gentle. It should take it by storm.
ArtbySakoa: YES, like it should always be deep and strong and even if it’s silly you have to have a strong message.
49th: What do you think the infrastructure for artists is like in Nigeria? Do you see a bright future in the coming years?
ArtbySakoa: THERE IS SO MUCH POTENTIAL. There are so many brilliant artists that I wish we had the platform to showcase these talents without having to seek Western validation. It breaks my heart…I would like to be positive, but…The average Nigerian seems not to value art.
49th: There is a misconception in Nigeria that art is for the rich.
ArtbySakoa: Exactly. You hear people say, ‘I never chop, na painting I go dey buy?’ And it makes sense because True true, them never chop.
49th: As an artist who’s still underground, what do you hope other underground artists would do in the name of community?
ArtbySakoa: My advice would be to find a community within yourself. It can be when you first enter the industry, it can be tempting to latch on to higher-ups asking them for advice, but I think it’s better if we learn and grow together. Have fun while you can and take it easy on seeking validation from artists that are well-known and established. Enjoying the moment will be little on your level.
49th: What is your art process like? Is there anything special you would like to do?
ArtbySakoa: My art process is very chaotic but organized. I like to listen to music while painting. Painting is actually the only time I can listen to music because it calms me and I would not enjoy it at any other time. I can’t paint at night- it stresses me out. Painting with daylight its my superpower. It makes my senses sharper, come to life.
49th: Obviously, you love to listen to Mavin artists. Are there any other artists you like?
ArtbySakoa: I like Tems. Also, I love listening to Indian songs. I don’t understand it but it just calms me. I don’t understand how. This morning, I was only listening to Arjit Singh. His music is so powerful! I don’t even paint commissions but I would paint him.
49th: Thank you for your time and for letting me into your space!
ArtbySakoa: Thank you so much for this opportunity!
ArtbySakoa’s earnestness on her journey as a small artist learning the art space as a Nigerian trying to find her place in it was a lot of good things, but most especially, warm.
I was enchanted by her deftness while she painted and bore herself on the answers she gave me in the same breath. Her art page on Instagram is @artbysakoa, and I’m seated for her breakout.
Tap in, too. There’s more than enough room.
