Artist Spotlight: Dimeji Onafuwa
Today, dear friends, I’d like to introduce you to the artwork of Dimeji Onafuwa. Dimeji’s incredible work can speak for itself, but of course I will share my thoughts on his paintings, just as I have with the other artists I’ve featured.
Dimeji’s paintings are quite powerful, they feature a moment frozen in time that can speak right to your soul. Like many other artists, Dimeji slightly obscures many of the faces in his paintings. This often feels like a gift to the admirer who, as a result, is able to imagine the subjects being her own family, friends, and loved ones.
Not everyone enjoys art with art human subjects, but those that do become captivated very quickly by the painted face of a stranger. I believe that human subjects allow the observer to make a true connection with the piece, a connection that might not be there otherwise. Dimeji’s use of realistic figures on abstract backgrounds allows you to be absorbed into the imagined lives of his beautiful black subjects.
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He recently described his thoughts on this painting (below) on his Instagram feed.
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“Inspired by the 1960s Bay Area figurative expressionists, Rothko's Color Field paintings, and Yoruba principles of media manipulation, Sea Calm crosses cultural, racial and historical boundaries. It explores the existential human helplessly in a sea of "nothingness" (an absent present); pensive and in careful contemplation. I adopted the title from the work of Langston Hughes, the great Harlem Renaissance poet:
"How still,
How strangely still
The water is today,
It is not good
For water
To be so still that way.""
Dimeji’s paintings can be purchased via Saatchi Art, which is a wonderful source for both prints and originals. Dimeji explains his work further through his bio on Saatchi Art…
“I use Yoruba principles of art in my work. Some are Ona (the embellishment of form), Ara (creativity), Ere (improvisation), pipe (completeness) and tutu (coolness). I draw inspiration from the work of the 1960s Bay Area figurative expressionists (Diebenkorn, Oliveira, Brown, Wonner, Bischoff, Park etc) as well as Henri Matisse and Mark Rothko.”
Dimeji’s work extends far beyond the art world. He is a researcher, an educator, and a speaker. Please visit his site to learn more about the incredible work he is doing! The video you’ll find there (scroll down) dives more into his work on social design https://www.onafuwa.com/talks. Fast forward to 1:42 minutes to see Dimeji’s part of the interview. He discusses a designer’s role in fighting oppression. He speaks of racial injustice, and what it means to be an ally. The video is from 2017, but these topics could not be more relevant for 2020!
That’s all for this week friends! Why not treat yourself or a loved one to piece of Dimeji’s art. What a beautiful gift that would be!
Wishing you all a healthy, and peaceful, week ahead.
-Sara