Unveiling Perspectives: Daniel Pengrapher on African Art and Education
Daniel Pengrapher is a multidisciplinary artist from Lagos, Nigeria, currently residing in Serbia. From a young age, he recognised his artistic talents, participating in exhibitions by age 10. After studying Visual Arts at the University of Lagos and earning a scholarship to Novi Sad in Serbia, Daniel creates both 2D and 3D art forms, drawing inspiration from diverse range of sources including God, his PALS figurines, the future Pengrapher and many more. In a candid conversation with THEGREATFAD, Daniel reflects on his educational journey, his admiration for roadside artists, and the challenges faced in navigating the art world, particularly in Nigeria. He critiques the lack of emphasis on Nigerian art in Nigerian art schools and the generalisation of African art. Through his work, Daniel strives to preserve culture in a contemporary context, challenging stereotypes and expanding perceptions of African art.
Unveiling Perspectives is an extension of “26 minutes with Daniel Pengrapher” segmented into topics highlighted during our discussion and ideas that we believe should inspire further dialogue.
The Rules of Art School
A vast majority of Daniel’s educational journey is spent within the walls of art institutions. Often, there’s a misconception that formal education in the arts lacks value, leading many to believe that unconventional career paths don’t necessitate traditional schooling. Additionally, there’s a notion that these institutions generally fail artists when it pertains to helping to foster and encourage the innate ‘creative sense’ Pengrapher speaks of.
Reflecting on historical precedents such as The Salon in Paris (1748–1890), originally conceived as a platform for graduates of The Academy of Fine Arts to showcase their work, one can observe how quickly these exhibitions became exclusive, ostracising artists of certain movements, like the Impressionists, for their unconventional styles. This disdain these institutions showed towards any deviation from traditional art techniques often discouraged aspiring artists from pursuing formal education in the arts.
Daniel refers to himself as a ‘living dogma’, having spent 6–7 years in various art schools conforming to academic ideals of what an artist should be. Despite learning the prescribed processes and procedures, he graduated feeling disconnected from the essence of being an artist, or what he was taught an artists should be.
His artistic journey involves a rebellious act of modifying and adapting styles and techniques that resonate with him, even if they may be misunderstood by others. This defiance against convention is emblematic of Daniel’s commitment to his unique artistic expression.
Being inspired by “Roadside artists”
As a young (African) artist, having to battle the fantasy and realities of the career you want to pursue can be a very discouraging experience. Daniel recounts ‘roadside artists’ being his ‘main human inspiration’. The irony in sourcing inspiration from roadside artists is the dream of being one but the awareness of the ridicule they face as low-earning members of a capitalist society. In all societies, visual artists are not particularly given the accolades they deserves but how much less African artists, who are overlooked in their own countries and often do not have ‘successful’ and ‘well celebrated’ African artists to look up to.
Studying at UNILAG (University of Lagos)
‘They throw all the people who they think do not have a career into that department” he recounts as he explains how the Visual Art Program at the University of Lagos at the time in which he studied was essentially a dumping ground for other students who failed from other faculties.
“Studying art in Nigeria….if you’re talented, its best to show that you’re untalented until you graduate” he said.
As with many other Nigerian ideologies, Pengrapher explains that studying art in Lagos was a matter of learning how to be an artist and not understanding art holistically. Deciphering art market ideas was an independent self-study that the artist had to undergo by himself. I think this topic highlights a weakness (or several) within more entrepreneurial career paths and the lack of depth of support given to students.
African Artist, European Influences
“Nigerian Art School does not really focus on Nigerian Art, it focuses more on the outside world art and less on its own art..which is kinda messed up”.
Daniel recounts his earliest encounter with western art to be while at high school in Nigeria. The glorification and excessive study of European art in Nigeria begs questions of the value of Nigerian art in its own country. It reinforces the belief that there exist no comprehensive collection of African (more specifically Nigerian Art(ists)) worth learning about. This evidence of the ‘subtle’ fallouts of colonial rule still permeates, not just as a part of Africa’s history but also, its present — championing the idea that African artists ought to seek out international opportunities in order to truly be seen as successful.
“The part of my art that is African art is the part where I create out of the things I have been through in Africa and using relatable content as a source of inspiration from the western world”. — Daniel Pengrapher
The debate over whether African Art, influenced by European art, can truly be categorised as “African,” frequently ends up being unproductive. Previous experience with Western Art makes it clear to us that the art is attributed to the country or continent based of the Artist producing it. The ability to draw inspiration from a thing, person, thought, idea and even the spiritual at times, applying perspective and make your own thing of it is quintessentially what past and present artist have always done.
Studying artists like Paul Gaugin, in his attempt to pioneer a new movement (at the time), ‘Primitivism’ was a ‘western’ movement coined by Gaugin in response to his experience in Tahiti, where he aimed to emulate ‘primitive’ forms and element. Thinking about Van Gogh’s work as an extension of this and his source of inspiration for his latter works being from Japanese printmaking (Japonisme) which he also described as “something like the primitives” in a letter to his brother. His encounter with Japonisme undeniably enhanced his painting style. These paintings have since been accepted under ‘Western Art’ History though there exists an underlying issue of racism in this. Gaugin and Van Gogh both believed “artists should move to more southern, primitive regions, in search of vibrant colours.”
In contrast, Pengrapher’s art represents a movement in the opposite direction from that described by Gauguin and Van Gogh — moving from the global south to west.
The Generalisation of African Art
“There is no custodian of the culture when it comes to art…”, he says, ephasising African Art, more particularly. The oversimplification of African Art alludes to it’s sole existence as masks or in other sculptural forms and helps to reinforce the tired narrative of a stagnant continent.
For many of us, our sole point of reference for African Art are artefacts stolen from kingdoms that ‘fell’ at the hands of the British, Belgian and French colonial rule. The continued display of these artefacts in museums outside their respective countries of origin restricts the artistic heritage of those nations to a fixed location. The distinct yet monolithic appearance of African art makes it equally distinguishable as it is forgettable due to the one-dimensional portrayal. In reality, with growing access and exposure to art from other cultures and nations, African Art is more than just Egyptian hieroglyphic, voodoo dolls and masks of important tribal figures. It has expanded and continues to grow in depth and breath — having many faces. It is evident that Pengrapher, through his work, embodies the role of a creative but also a custodian who is “just trying to preserve the culture in a contemporary way”.
Do the arts reflect the times?
There sometimes pose a challenge in the progression of all art forms but in African Art, specially. One might anticipate a diverse array of artistic mediums, incorporating both 2D and 3D forms. However, the most prevalent, commercially successful, and often endorsed forms are canvas paintings that embrace Western art styles and occasionally employ Western techniques.
For African artists, capturing the essence of “Africa” within their art can pose a challenge; given the dichotomy of remaining artistically/culturally authentic and appealing to an international audience. Consequently, there exists an awareness within African artists that the art they produce has to look a particular way to garner recognition and grant them entry into international spaces — begging the question of whether or not it is possible to gain international then subsequently, national recognition while imploring traditional African art styles.
Sculptures as a forgotten art form?
After studying Sculptures and a creator of a 3D figurine collection himself, Daniel sees PALS as “an autobiography” and “a creation from within”. Although concerns arise around whether people still collect 3D art forms and if there is substantial interest in this market, when asked the question of if sculptures were a forgotten art form, Daniel diagreed. He explained that there have been great amount of interest and engagement with his release of PALS.
While African art traditionally encompasses three-dimensional objects, the Western world (and others subsequently) tend toward a more minimalist lifestyle, which may lead to the perception that three-dimensional art disrupts the negative space within the interior design of a place, whether it be a home or office. PALS is the Pengrapher’s attempt at “preserving the culture in a contemporary way”.