Anjola Soji-Oyawoye, Art, Four23
“It also helps that I’m a part time insomniac”, Anjola is a Nigerian born artist with a warm and passionate heart, her emotive pieces really speak to you and her talent shines through her work.
You can find her work at Four23 which is an art and merchandising brand that was birthed out of a desire to promote positive thinking. The state of your Heart determines how you live your life!
Going through personal mental health battles, art was always a means of escape for her. Four23 aims to share the incredible ability for art to create a safe space for your mind to dwell. As a brand, they strive to be a constant reminder for you to be the CUSTODIAN of your heart!
Creative Core
What does your creative discipline mean to you?
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I am lucky to have been exposed to a lot of creativity from a very young age. My primary school curriculum was very heavily influenced by both visual and performing arts. My parents also encouraged me to be creative with my dad buying my paintings even when they were just palm prints, and my mum always signing me up for art competitions. Art was something that was always encouraged, albeit as a hobby and not a career path. Although I didn’t get much practice with creative arts as I got older and had wider commitments, studying architecture means that there is still room for creativity, though I don’t get the same pleasure out of creating for university grades as I do in my personal work. This is something I’d like to improve on
Where do you draw most of your inspiration from?
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Personal Experience and Affinities. I haven’t settled on any individual style as an artist so it makes it easy for me to be inspired by anything
Who inspires you creatively?
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Black music and black visual arts in general. I can’t really pick one person.
Is your creative work Full-Time or Part-Time?
Part-Time
How do you cope mentally? How do you make time for self care, a social life/family life too. Do you ever get frustrated and want to quit building something you’re passionate about? How do you overcome these negative/dark emotions.
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I’m a full-time architecture student and also recently started a part-time architecture job, which automatically leaves little or no time for my art. I struggled with balancing my creative work with uni for many years but in a very desperate time (mentally) I realised that art helped me escape negative emotions. I very recently began to
explore with digital art and this has really helped with meeting other commitments with family, friends, etc because I can now utilise my commute time or waiting time to create art on my iPad. It also helps that I’m a part-time insomniac so I have some extra hours in the day to create. I’m a perfectionist so being frustrated and wanting to quit are thoughts I constantly battle with but my desire to create always trumps my fear of failure - in private...feeling confident enough to share the work is another story
Race
How has race had an impact on your creativity?
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I grew up in Nigeria and surrounded by black people, I was never conscious of my blackness. I first became conscious of my race when I was in a predominantly white a-level school and I began to notice certain changes for example being aware that my name was apparently difficult to spell or pronounce. These little day to day nuances have definitely impacted my thoughts and views on certain things, and in turn my creative discipline.
What sort of obstacles have you faced whilst being a black creative?
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Not being exposed to wider opportunities or options earlier on, than the strict “Academic” career solutions that African culture offers.
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Advice
What institutions would you suggest for someone starting out to join, one that can help jumpstart their career or give them guidance?
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I have no idea! I am majorly self-taught, excluding art classes in school. One thing I’ll say though, the internet is your friend. From starting a business, to pricing your work, technique, sourcing materials, there is free information out there, you just have to commit to searching for it.
What advice would you give to someone doing something similar to you?
What advice would you give them if they were struggling mentally?
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Find what makes you comfortable. This isn’t there so that you cling to it, you find your comfort zone so that it’s there as familiar
territory while you explore. I often force myself to push my limits in certain areas, and if it sucks, I go home, put on some music, and paint. Painting takes me to that comfortable place.
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During this 'less busy' period, Four23 is open for commissions! If you are interested, please send a DM or an email to four23.sales@gmail.com