Kingsley Ayogu
{{Short description|Nigerian artist (born 1994)}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2019}}
{{Use Nigerian English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ayogu Kingsley
| image =
| birth_name = Ayogu Ifeanyichukwu Kingsley
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1994|09|23}}
| birth_place = Enugu
| occupation = Hyper-realist, artist
| known_for = Hyper-realism
}}
Ayogu Kingsley Ifeanyichukwu {{IPAc-en||audio=Ig-Ayogu Kingsley Ifeanyichukwu.ogg}} (born 23 September 1994) is a Nigerian artist known for his hyperrealist style.{{Cite web |last=Usulor |first=Israel |date=2022-04-25 |title=Is it a photo? Nigerian artist produces sweet painting of Sankara and Fela Kuti |url=https://www.legit.ng/people/1467271-talented-nigerian-aritist-makes-amazing-painting-felakuti-thomas-sankara-realife-artwork-stuns-many/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Legit.ng - Nigeria news. |language=en}}
Early life and career
Ayogu was born on 23 September 1994. He hails from Aji Igboeze North L.G.A. Enugu State, Nigeria.{{Cite web |title=Narratives On Canvas: A Review Of Ayogu’s Exceptional Paintings – Independent Newspaper Nigeria |url=https://independent.ng/narratives-on-canvas-a-review-of-ayogus-exceptional-paintings/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |language=en-GB}}
In an interview with BBC Igbo, he said he started painting as a child before developing his style of hyperrealism.{{Cite web |date=2018-03-02 |title='Ise ihe ọ dịka foto adịghị mfe' |url=https://www.bbc.com/igbo/afirika-43250827 |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=BBC News Ìgbò |language=ig}}
In 2021, Ayogu did a painting of Malcolm X the first of his series Icons in the White House which went viral on the internet. This series was displayed in the exhibition "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" at Hangar in Lisbon.{{Cite web |date=2021-11-24 |title=ShaunKing Praises Nigerian Artist Kingsley Ayogu’s Painting of Malcolm X |url=https://editor.guardian.ng/life/shaunking-praises-nigerian-artist-kingsley-ayogus-painting-of-malcolm-x/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News |language=en-US}}
Style of art
A reviewer described Ayogu's work as having "stunning, lens-like detail" depicting "situations with a wide spectrum of displayed emotion through tears, despair and affinity. The viewer of his pieces is compelled to feel connected to the paintings."{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ng/narratives-on-canvas-a-review-of-ayogus-exceptional-paintings/|title=Narratives on Canvas: A Review Of Ayogu's Exceptional Paintings|last=Falade|first=Tomi|date=28 December 2018|website=Independent Newspapers Nigeria|access-date=1 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102023714/https://www.independent.ng/narratives-on-canvas-a-review-of-ayogus-exceptional-paintings/|archive-date=2019-01-02|url-status=live}}
In an interview with BBC Igbo, he described his major challenge as having to import his tools.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/igbo/afirika-43269147|title=Ayogu Kingsley na-eme 'Amerịka wọnda'!|date=3 March 2018|work=BBC News Ìgbò|access-date=1 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103114128/https://www.bbc.com/igbo/afirika-43269147|archive-date=2019-01-03|url-status=live}} In an article on Guardian Newspaper his art was described as "terrifyingly visceral, so lifelike you feel you could touch them".{{Cite web|url=https://guardian.ng/life/hyperrealism-borders-with-kingsley-ayogu/|title=Hyperrealism Borders With Kingsley Ayogu|date=15 April 2019|website=The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News|access-date=3 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416154151/https://guardian.ng/life/hyperrealism-borders-with-kingsley-ayogu/|archive-date=2019-04-16|url-status=live}}
Reviews
Ayogu's paintings which seek to express themes of daily experience of human life and nature have been defined as poetry that speaks to create pulsating appeal to the conscience of people.{{Cite web |date=2020-03-29 |title=How street artists inspired me – Ayogu Kingsley |url=https://dailytrust.com/how-street-artists-inspired-me/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Daily Trust |language=en-GB}}
Awards
- Winner Best Experiment Artist at LIMCAF 2016{{Cite web |date=2016-11-09 |title=Glitz, colour of LIMCAF at 10 light up Coal City |url=https://guardian.ng/art/glitz-colour-of-limcaf-at-10-light-up-coal-city/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News |language=en-US}}
- Winner Future Awards Africa 2020 category (Arts){{Cite web |last=Mix |first=Pulse |date=2020-12-04 |title=Kingsley Ayogu, Aisha Salaudeen, Jide-Kene Achufusi, Seun Fakorede, Sam Adeyemi, others emerge winners at The Future Awards Africa 2020 |url=https://www.pulse.ng/business/the-future-awards-africa-2020-kingsley-ayogu-aisha-salaudeen-jide-kene-achufusi-seun/bwyr7m0 |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Pulse Nigeria}}
References
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