I love the suspense of mixed media, installation – Chinze

Most people say that artists are chaotic, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with you. How do you manage that with the kind of art you do? I think it’s because I’m an interior designer. Artists all have different aspects of arts that they focus on – mine tends towards interiors and in […]

Most people say that artists are chaotic, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with you. How do you manage that with the kind of art you do?
I think it’s because I’m an interior designer. Artists all have different aspects of arts that they focus on – mine tends towards interiors and in interior designing there is a lot of balancing taking place and organising. When I am doing things I’m organising them already in my mind. If I’m doing a house, balance is the most important thing. If it’s a painting finishing it is the most important thing. So it’s like every aspect of your art depending on where it tilts… like some whose art tilts towards graphics, you find their lines straight. But with mine being interior decorating I’m more into such art and the finishing and balancing them.
I saw your work inspired by Olajumoke and another one, ‘Time with God.’ Did you deliberately decide to link them up with metal?
I tried to figure out how to do the painting. Then I decided to do one linking each piece with metal. Initially, I thought I would use rope but I noticed that it would not last. There’s another aspect of it I want to try. This time I am going to use glue. But with this I have to glue it on a surface. I am experimenting with the material. I’m stretching it … I’m going to stretch it and see what comes out of it. Maybe at some point I could also use fire to burn it and see what would come out of it when I stick it together.
Jute bags feature primarily  in your works, why that and not some other fabric?
I’ve always used jute bags but now I’m trying to experiment with it by stretching it to the limit. In my works … everything God created has potentials. Every human being has potentials. If you stretch each one of us, you will see our potentials. We’re all talking about Olajumoke and she was once a mere bread seller. But she has been stretched and we all now see her other side and her potentials. When I started with jute I was only painting on them. At a point, I felt it could do more. So I started using it to do other things, including sculptures.
In your upcoming exhibition you are focusing on the girl child and social media. Could you tell us about it?
Society exploits the girl child. Women are turning them into househelps and all sorts of things. They even turn them into slaves and all that. Men are sexually exploiting them. It is an issue that needs to be addressed. That’s why I stressed on this. Then also, the other one on the social media I’m just trying to portray the level the social media has gotten to. It has reached a point where two people could be in one room and at the same time be all over the world communing, meanwhile they are supposed to be hanging out together. Go to the airport, while people are waiting for their flights, they are all on their phones or mobile gadgets or computers. 
What was the motivation behind ‘Life’s journey?’
It is about people identifying their calling. God created each one of us for something but you know in this country, when you see what someone else is doing you begin to copy the person. When it doesn’t work out, you then drop it and begin copying what somebody else is doing. And it goes on and on. Whereas, the issue is for one to know what exactly he or she is cut out for. Know what potentials you have and start using it. We all have unique potentials and calling … I could see a painter and our works or styles are different. Maybe I am more an abstract painter and I force myself to paint naturalistic or vice versa. I then stretch myself in the wrong direction rather than where my creativity grows.
Artists should perfect their unique styles and see how far they can go. Locate that destination God has designed for you and target to get there. That’s why I call the series ‘Unfinished business.’ There are so many things hanging. Our youths struggle with identity these are some of the issues still hanging. To locate your identity, you need to be alone with God. That’s how the work, ‘Alone with God’ came about. You see, all the works are related. Know what you are cut out for; know what you can do and then you can say this is how far I can go with it.
Could you share with us the experience putting together the pieces ‘Olajumoke’ and ‘Alone with God’, did you feel discouraged at some point with the tediousness of the work?
No, I wouldn’t say so. I was curious to see the end of the work so that kept me going. Each one is like experimentation. I did Olajumoke and liked the outcome I did ‘Alone with God.’ As two separate pieces I see it’s not working so I am going to join them back together so that it will be one big piece. Initially, I was going to put it on a board but I realised it would be heavy.  So I’m using fabric which I can roll and drop when I need to exhibit.
There’s another part of it which I will be working on with glue and also another part that I am considering the use of thread and needle. It’s just part of the experimenting. The metal is so tedious. You have to cut, drill, then burn before you start linking. It is a lot of work. I have work to do but I am scared (laughter). I am experimenting on using thread for smaller pieces with this technique.
You are known for building furniture but you don’t seem to be doing that in recent times. Have you given it up?
No, I haven’t. Furniture is bulky and expensive. Now, I’m going to think of the next part of my unfinished business which will include furniture. Not the bulky ones. Maybe one piece each that one could put in the house and would stand out uniquely and be inspiring. Maybe next time I would do bigger pieces. But this one I would do it with the art works for my next exhibition which I am planning for Abuja. I am also doing a series on youths, although I can’t exhibit that now because I don’t have the time and the space. But I’m still working on it because it’s part of my unfinished business.
You do different forms of art mixed media, installation and all of that. Which do you most enjoy doing?
Installation is expensive. It is intense and also heavy. But it gives you the opportunity to express yourself to the last. Flat painting is not so interesting to me. I like things I build up. I work on and the interesting part of it is that I keep adding and working on it, without a specific expectation of what it would look like. But with flat painting you already know what it would look like. I don’t find it very interesting; I am bored when I do it because it doesn’t challenge me much. I prefer something more exciting. When I am experimenting, my creativity juice flows.
There are a lot of red and yellow in your works. What’s your relationship with them?
(Laughter) I love the bright colours. I love the reds sometimes I do works and discover it’s only red, other times it’s only yellow. So I have to then add other colours. But I love bright colours. I notice that a lot of black people like bright things. It’s the whites who talk about pastel and those shades. But with the African thing, the colours have to be strong. I was in Lagos recently and was visiting a gallery when an elderly man was speaking to me saying ‘I love colours, I want them strong.’ And I said to him, ‘even at your age you still want the bright colours.’
Do you think these colours best express your message?
I think it is more of how I can express myself through the colours. The fiery red has to be red so that when I apply it to my work, the red is speaking back. Look at ‘Olajumoke.’ That’s what caught my eye when they did her photo shoot. I added the white and black to give some light and shade.
It is the women’s month and in celebrating women artists in Nigeria, what do you have to say?
Our exhibition said ‘Be seen, be heard.’ That’s what we want. Not just to be seen alone.  As women, we need to put across our thoughts. A lot of times we are described as the weaker sex and we fall for it. It’s not that we’re going to fight them and say we’re on equal levels, but at the same time we also need to have the opportunity to express ourselves, and show positivity through right thinking.