Who is Oyedokun Ezekiel ?
A visual hyper-naturalist pen and oil Artist and an Educationist.
How did your journey into Art begin?
Art, for me, is an inborn talent. Right from childhood, nothing gives me more joy than drawing. When my friends were disturbing the class or playing football, what I would do was to take my pencil and scribble, and gradually my passion grew, and that eventually led me into Art, on a full time basis.
Who and/or where do you draw your influence from?
I will give credit to my Arts teacher in Secondary school. He encouraged me to study Art, opened my eyes to the beauty in Art and the entrepreneurial spirit in it. Also, I will like to change the mentality people have towards Artists – the mindset that once you are an artist, you are a nobody. I am doing my possible best to change that mentality. The way you rate a Doctor or a Lawyer is the same way Artists should be rated as we are like demi-gods.
What projects have you worked on and what inspired the idea/piece? And do you have a favourite work?
I have worked on different projects with different mediums, but my favourite is the one I titled, ‘Entrapped’ (a pen piece, full imperial size). It has to do with an old face entrapped with hands all over it. The idea behind that piece is, we are all in difficult situations and getting out of it can be challenging. And that whatever we do, we should try to keep on pushing until we are able to achieve our dreams and break every limitation.
I will like to change the mentality people have towards Artists – the mindset that once you are an artist, you are a nobody.
What are the core materials that bring your art to life?
My pen and oil colours are the major materials I use. Without them, my own kind of Art can’t come to life.
Beyond the graphics, what does your artwork represent?
My art deals with society and what happens in and around it. It is also a way of telling people not to give up. It passes a message that suicide is not an option as there is a brighter tomorrow.
And what does Art, as a path, mean to you?
Art is a way of expressing myself and, to me, the meaning of art is the expression of inner feelings and ideas. Art has to do with moods and I am the introverted type, so I express myself with my materials. Basically, art to me is expression.
A world with internet and a world without one, which would you rather live in and why?
I will prefer a world with internet, as internet has made the world evolve. As an artist, the internet helps, a lot, in providing a channel to put out our works to the general public.
What’s the one value or school of thought you live your life by?
I am a realist, and I believe for you to make things you don’t only imagine, you need to put it into action.
You can check out and follow Oyedokun Ezekiel’s work on Instagram with his handle, Hayzay Draws.
