“Envying mortality is a metaphor of sorts,” the young art whiz notes. In a whiff, he gives off a gentle sigh, as he drifts into the corridors of his thoughts. “People are unaware of the amount of chaos that a creator must wield, suppress and translate into art.”
And this subtle panoramic view of life is the bedrock for his latest art exhibition, dubbed ‘Envying Mortality’, which is a maturation of Femi.the. god’s artistic sojourn.
Born Peter Ojei, Femi.the.god is a multidisciplinary artist, exploring the visual medium – primarily, mixed media paintings – to tell authentic African stories, rife with a candid sense of existentialism and rich with a legacy of digital innovation.
Presenting themed digital-fusions of digital print, exploring shapes, texture and common experiences of the average African, Femi.the.god strikes his thoughts on the gongs of humanism one painting at a time.
“The envying mortality exhibition explores the perspective of creative individuals and their inner complexities, highlighting the desire for simplicity in their lives. It examines the ironic relationship between the creative mind’s ability to produce innovative ideas and the toll it takes on their mental and emotional well-being.
“Despite the inner turmoil, their artistic creations inspire others and contribute to the progress of humanity. However I didn’t depict any of these with pictures of artists going mad, instead, I explored the polar opposite – the day-to-day living of simple lives that are not burdened or possessed by the demon of creativity,” he tells Guardian Arts.
Set in a cosy interior space nestled in the hearts of the highbrow Lekki axis of Lagos, the ‘Envying Mortality’ exhibition saw art lovers from several facets of life appreciate the depth and serenity that are the siamese backdrop to Femi.the.god’s laudable portfolio.
On his experiences with techniques employed in this series, he explains that minimalism remains the battery life of his expression.
“With this collection, I tried to stay true to my usual simplistic approach towards communicating a good dose of intricacy. The main medium that I used was one that I experimented with I’m my last debut exhibition, ‘Up from Nothing’, which I called craft on Canvas.
“The textures of white and gold resemble the screen printing medium, except that it isn’t paint based, and some people who interacted with the pieces thought the art was going to come off the canvas the way it kind of popped. The medium was the perfect choice because it helped to properly separate the shapes and highlight the different professions of the subjects. And of course in my usual fashion, I infused poetry to the art to help tell a clearer story and create a richer experience for the observer. It was a lot of fun.“
Citing Pablo Picasso, Kanye West, and Virgil Abloh as some of his key influences, he explains that individualism, and being visionary are some of his primary motivations of his radical approach to art.
On what’s next for the UK-based artist, he notes that his journey rests in “preservation” of memories, cultures and the endless data trove that is day-to-day life.
“I’m working on a few projects here and there and I really want to create more things I can take around the world but overall, I just want to continue my journey to serve and preserve. I really believe that art is for preservation because our recollection of our cultures and histories are vital for knowing who we are and how far we have come as a species, and that inspires us onto what we can become in the future. It’s just about preserving the data of all this stuff around us for posterity through the stories we tell.”
Femi.the.god is a Nigerian visual artist and poet based in the United Kingdom.
Femi.the.god is a Lagos born visual artist, writer, designer and entrepreneur, who considers himself a critical observer and ‘creative conduit’. He has dedicated his art to his belief in service preservation, exploring mundane stories of people and places, from unconventional viewpoints, documenting the elements of living that come together to form our cultures, for the benefit of posterity. He is a multidisciplinary artist with a style that combines abstract shapes, experimental textures and poetry, conveying ideas that enlighten and inspire.
