Barry Yusufu: Shining a Light on the Nigerian People
Nigerian artist Barry Yusufu tells the story of his people through stunning, vibrant portraits.
Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
My name is Barry Yusufu and I'm originally from Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Based in Abuja Nigeria.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
My people are my inspiration, I paint the stories of my people, as an African from Nigeria I tell the story of my race as well. I see there has been hardly any documentation of my people in the past, and I'm trying to do my part.
What led you to focus on portraiture?
I've done almost all forms of art from abstract to realism but I've never been able to tell the stories of my people well like I'm doing with portraiture. Abstract could only tell the stories of my emotions. But at this time and age the story of my people is most important to me.
What role does color play in your work?
Colors really help me to pass along my messages well. My work and the messages behind them are not really beautiful stories, but with my colors, they help me pass the message across, and also make it easier for people to understand where I’m headed with my works.
How have your paintings shifted and evolved over time?
Oh wow, I'll say I've really grown in my creation process and also my thought process. From when I started till now, I'm now able to channel more energy into my works, with direct and subliminal meanings as well as great composition.
When I started I was creating from home so my life has really been all about art. I'm grateful for humble beginnings.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice grown or changed?
I can work for the whole day as long as I'm in the right frame of mind. I currently work in my studio now and it's been beautiful, learning to balance my personal life and art. It's often Easy for an artist to forget about himself and get lost in art.
Which experiences have impacted your work as an artist?
The fact that I began art as a pencil artist creating hyper realistic works really shaped my process and helped me understand almost every medium I may have my hands on.
How has Instagram impacted your art career?
Instagram or social media as a whole has been a blessing for me personally. There's has never been a system designed in my country to assist young contemporary artists like myself, but social media made the world a lot more smaller thus helping me spread my message faster. Grateful I was born in an age like this.
What are your future goals and aspirations?
My future goal really is to grow, become a source of inspiration for many others, have my works shown in places the whole world can see and learn from, be able to have a foundation that would help out young creatives to be able to find themselves as well. This really is my goal.
Instagram: @barryyusufu