The beginning of my art journey was characterized by uncertainty because I had suddenly found myself out of paid employment and a steady income. A steady job meant that I only made art when I could make out time to, this in turn translated to being closed off from the 'art world' because I simply didn't have the time to invest in it. Despite making the occasional sale, I really didn't see my art as worth more than gifts for family and friends. This went on until one of the two most profound moments in my art career happened to me.

In 2009, an artist friend told me I needed to put my art out there, show my paintings to art buyers/collectors, and engage with the 'art world' basically. I took the advice and decided to put one of my paintings in a group exhibition that featured no less than 50 artists. I understood that selling a painting at such a show would be a major confidence boost for me as an artist, even though all I really wanted was to start putting my art in front of an audience. Thankfully and to my utmost surprise, my painting sold - and to a highly regarded Nigerian collector at that. This was a major milestone as it essentially jump-started my art career. It showed me that my art was worth something to an audience outside of my immediate circle of influence and gave me the confidence to start pushing my art on the market.

While that moment was profound, it would be later in that same year that an equally important incident would occur that set me on the path to creating the art that I do today. After the exhibition and I started pushing my paintings on the market, my art was finally out for people to see and most importantly - critique. However, one specific interaction with a potential buyer really struck me. I had confidently shown her some of my paintings but was more than a bit disheartened by her negative feedback. I probed her for a more detailed explanation and she went on to say that the colours on my paintings were too dark and moody. Most significantly, she told me that beyond the colour values, the overall theme of my art was quite somber. She insisted that my art was a reflection of my mental state at any given point and that she simply didn't like what my paintings were projecting at that point in time. It was a powerful moment of self reflection for me.

After this interaction, I began to think more deeply about myself and my art, and how I could possibly deliberately take charge of the meeting point between these two parts with intent. I asked myself questions like '... am I really subconsciously reflecting a darker theme in my art because of my current mental state?'. I dug deep and it became clear that those emotions may have been caused by the anxiety I felt after leaving paid employment to focus on my art. I was still unsure of this new path and was subconsciously infusing it into my art and creativity. I ended up concluding that I had to make changes in my life that will positively affect what my art was saying.

After much reflection and making some life changing choices, I immersed myself fully into my art and spent time studying with intent. This led to a change in the overall look and feel of my art. My paintings now focus on themes that project culture, community and association. I consciously execute my work in colour and themes that engender happiness, joy and self reflection. In some way, It feels like my art helped me discover and understand me. My hope is that the art I now create has this effect on you as you view the collection. Enjoy!

Sylvester Aigbogun