What Motivates You? Finding Inspiration in the Work and Words Of 10 Amazing Black Women Artists: Ojo Agi.
Often, whether you’re creatively inclined or seeking encouragement to face your everyday struggles, finding inspiration and the motivation to see through your artistic vision or are grappling with the battles of your daily life is can be just as hard as the battle you’re trying to overcome. Lately, in dealing with these hardships myself, I turned to the work of some of my favourite black women artists, and, intrigued by what fuels their passion to share their talents, went one step further and spoke to some of them about what keeps them going.
Ojo Agi is a Nigerian artist born and raised in Canada. Believing there are multiple ways to tell a story, she chooses to use art to tell hers. Specifically, she uses her pieces to diversify the narratives surrounding women of colour. She aims to show that brown is beautiful, diverse and empowering; but also use each piece as an opportunity to learn and un-learn what is beautiful to her.
“I work predominantly with art markers, acrylic paint and oil paint, though I experiment with other mediums frequently. No matter what I use, my style is very feminine. I love drawing portraits and others have described them as vulnerable yet confident which I think is fitting. I’m influenced a lot by ambiguity, hybridity and subtlety. I think this sort of complexity has been denied to black women and I try often to show it.“
Find her on Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr.
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