'Equestrian spirit I' Print

By a way of introduction, I am Ayomide Mathew Apena, a Nigerian citizen, born in Agege, Lagos State, Nigeria. I have a national diploma (ND), and a higher national diploma (HND) in Art and Industrial Design from Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Nigeria. Most of my works are based on human expressions which relate to the internal states of mind. In every culture of the world, artistic expressions provide an outlet for thoughts, feelings, culture, emotions, gestures, beliefs, just to mention a few. As music expresses human feelings with tones, and literature expresses human feelings using words, so as an artist my artworks expresses more of culture, identity, emotion and gestures on my canvas using beautiful strokes of colors. The reflection of light has been my muse and my main medium of expressions. The expression of light on a person's gesture intrigues me because I believe the eyes do not lie. The expressions on people's faces are not permanent, so I tend to capture the moments before they fade, using beautiful and solid colors. The body of my works based on spontaneous expressions, subjective to artistic temperaments, (including deep thoughts, emotions, and every other internal state of mind), depicted by laying emphases on accurate reflections and depictions of light, are the moments I capture through mood and atmosphere. It all started in my early days as a child I used to draw from an illustration pamphlet called "super stikas". That was when I discovered my drawing ability. In 2008, I became an apprentice under Wastab Arts in Oyo state, Ibadan, Nigeria. I was taught how to use sand and oil paints to create portraiture because that was my trainers style of work. After three years of being an apprentice, I realized I had to further my career in Art. Anyway, my opportunity came when I got admitted into the Lagos State Polytechnic, Lagos, Nigeria in pursuit of my diploma degree (2011). I began to develop myself in Art properly. I discovered and developed myself in different dimensions by drawing properly. Self-expression and self-development in my works became more artistic by the use of spontaneous colors. Consistently, I engaged in exhibitions to broaden my artistic mind and exposure to Art because of my passion for Art. I began to develop keen interest in expressionism and impressionism in painting. Human forms, Anatomy and the effect of light on nature obviously dominated most of my artistic expressions.