Tolulope Michael Okunlola is a Fine Artist, whose area of interest is copper wire paintings. He uses different colours and sizes of copper wire to experiment his own unique technique. In an on-going exhibition in Lagos tagged ‘Audacious’, he showcases 30 unique works. He discusses his peculiar style in this interview with Edozie Udeze
What does wire painting mean?
Wire painting is a visual expression of paintings with copper wires which are made in different colours. All these wires are made from copper. They are in different sizes and colours also. The thicknesses vary from one to the other which also comes in various volumes. In fact, the wires are imported. None is made locally. I decided to use it to paint to be different. That’s why I call it wire paintings.
What then inspired you to embark on this wire concept?
Actually, what inspired me to begin this, began to manifest when I was at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. That was where I had a degree in Fine Arts. I wanted to be different from what others had been doing. It was a yearning that disturbed me for years. There was a time I used oil colours mostly. I used it and called it galloping. But someone told me it was not galloping. It was pointillism. Why stress yourself? So, what I did was to revert to my final year project. Then I called it carpeting. However, when I finally graduated, I now had the opportunity to undergo a workshop trained under one Michael Ojediran who took me through this technique of wire paintings. He taught me how to use wires to make jewelries first. Later, I felt I could use these wires to make art works since they are made in different colours. So, I tried to do the experiment and this is my first exhibition on it. In fact, this is my first solo exhibition. I achieved the first results with it and then continued until I had 30 works which are on display here now. So what inspired me primarily is the need to be different from others, to be an artist that uses a technique so unique, so special.
What are the presence of acrylic and oil in your works now?
I don’t use oil, neither do I use acrylic. The only thing I use is black paint to prepare the board before laying the wire. You can see black painting in the background of most of the works here. At times, I leave it blank and every other thing can be white, then I use black paints to square it up.
What themes are you addressing in your works?
Yes, you can see issues of socio-political tendencies in the works. I actually coin these themes around these works, using copper wire paintings to embellish them. The ideas hover around culture, social issues, entertainment, politics, economy, etc. At times too, in order to address some societal problems, I use the works to bring them out. I pass across these messages to the general public in order to ensure that they create the desired impact. You can see that most of the works have Yoruba cultural background. This is deliberate also; it is special too.
Would you say that you have finally run away from pointillism?
Emh… yes. Yes, because I have discovered that I am still amazed at what others are doing. I still feel what I have now is very different indeed. When I was doing pointillism, I could not achieve my aim. I was not satisfied at all. Being different is it for me! This was why I dropped pointillism. Even the carpeting technique, I did for a while. I also dropped the idea. The only work I did with carpeting was my final year project. After that the idea was finally laid to rest.
Why have you termed the title of your exhibition as Audacious?
It is all about taking bold steps, steps that can be risky, you know. You see, it is because this work is thoroughly painstaking, not too easy to accomplish. It is a new form, entirely different from the rest. So, for me, it becomes audacious, bold and new. It consumes time, even efforts to bring them to fruition. Besides, it is risky because I have not seen someone purchasing this kind of work before. What tells me that people will love and appreciate the works and then begin to buy, I don’t even know. So, it is very risky to embark on it this way, you see. When I started it, I was teaching in one secondary school. I was earning N18,000 then and out of the money I’d save to purchase materials for this. I was saving and that was why it took me a pretty long time to come out with this. I was supposed to have come out a long time ago. These works were begun in May 2014 and I completed the 30 works this year. This is why I have chosen to exhibit now, calling it audacious.
You had it pretty rough with your mother who didn’t want you to be an artist? How did you resolve the matter?
Yes, I appreciate that question. I appreciate it because right from the onset my mother did not have any interest in anything art. She believed I should be a lawyer and later become a magistrate. This was simply because my elder brother is a medical doctor, my elder sister, a nurse. I have others in other professions. And so she insisted that I should be a lawyer. And I said no, I want to be an artist, a painter. Even as a boy, I’d use my exercise books to draw different things and objects. It was not easy, I must say. At a point she reported me to a pastor in her church (laughs). She said, ‘hei, my son does not want to listen to me o’. But later she relented, because someone advised her to leave me alone. It was one of my uncles who talked to her. That was her younger sister’s husband who prevailed on her to leave me alone. He told her that there is a future in Fine Arts. That was how it happened. But now that I am having this exhibition, she is showing interest in a big way. She loves it now. She is even encouraging me to continue. She did not know that it would come out this way. In fact when people advised me to have up to 30 works, my mother felt they were punishing me. ‘Ah, you are putting him in captivity. Leave my child alone’ (laughs). But those people tried to let her know that the more works, the better chances of a better outing. And so, here we are now. Now she shows interest more regularly. And I pray that God should help me to work to make this experiment more regularly too; to make it greater than this.
What other artistic styles did you imbibe at OAU as an undergraduate?
Before I got to OAU, I was at the Oyo State College of Education. But whenever I drew, I ensured I used blurring shedding techniques. It gave me some satisfaction to do so. When I got to OAU, I changed to hatching, because I discovered that hatching looks more attractive than blurring. So, I also discovered that those using blurring did not usually score high marks. This was basically why I switched over. And since then there has been great improvement in my style and technique. It also helped me to improve my GP while in school at OAU.
One of your works is titled emulation. What is the import of emulation here?
Emulation, yes! Yes, parents are role models to their kids. Yes, they are, probably they are to groom their children in the areas of vocation, etc. Even in areas of all endeavours like learning carpentry works, plaiting hairs and all that. Even in learning other crafts that should teach them or direct them on how to go about it. This is what emulation is dwelling on. They also teach their children how to be of good character and how to grow up into meaningful citizens. This is the essence of emulation, telling people how to mold the child. Parents should always do so.
How do you get your themes?
My social themes mostly come from Yoruba proverbs and idioms. Others come from wise sayings and idiomatic expressions. They are based on what is happening in the society. You can see the element of Boko Haram and other social issues in my works. One of the works on Boko Haram was done when the attacks were severe and hot. You can see the sign of Bring Back Our Girls over there. It is symbolic. It represents that social issue very clearly. That time I decided to replicate it and it is not only Boko Haram. You can see the issue of corruption and other social vices that reflect in my works. Also you see how corruption is militating against this nation. In that work, you can see how I am pleading with other nations to rally round to save Nigeria. In it, you can see Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba coming together to save Nigeria. We need to save this country, from corruption, from unnecessary attacks, from insurgency and more. You see, we are said to be the second most religious nation in the world. So we need to put this into practical reality and do the needful to help ourselves. We still have atrocities, corruption, theft, immorality and the rest which are so rampant in our society. The ironies can be seen in those churches and mosques represented in my works. It is now necessary for us as Nigerian to come together to forge for unity and progress. It is for us to do so now.
How do you get the copper wires for these works?
Oh, thank you. It has not been easy. It is only a few shops that sell coloured wires. Even those three shops, do not import all the time. People do not show much interest in copper wires any more. So, it becomes more difficult whenever I need to purchase it. The wires were made to make necklaces and bracelets and then I have convert them into wire paintings. These are some of the processes. They are imported from England and the USA and it makes it more expensive to acquire. But the future is bright. It is my dream to continue to have people gain from it. I would like also to train more people to go on with this technique and so on.