We recently interviewed self taught hyperrealist artist Victor Iornumbe. We asked the 19 year old artist about the sources of his inspiration, his goals, and how he uses his art to express the complex emotions that come with having a loved one in a war zone.
1. What inspired you to start creating?
Ever since I was a child, I loved to draw. So, you could call it a thing of talent. But the lockdown in 2020 really locked it in for me. It pushed me to take my drawings more seriously. I watched YouTube videos (on hyperrealism) and improved my craft. I get most of my inspiration from my surroundings and events happening in my life.
2. Why Hyperrealism?
I have been drawing since I was little and I absolutely love it. I chose to focus on hyperrealism because it allows me to create lifelike works. I want to bring life to my art works.
2. You wrote about your sister being in Ukraine and making art to deal with the trauma you felt. Tell us more about this. How did your art help you deal with the situation?
While the whole situation was ongoing, I couldn’t discuss it with anyone, my parents tried to shield me in a bid to protect me. Hence, I took to art for succor and created this piece, “Freedom isn’t Free”.
3. If you had one word to describe your art, what would it be?
Expressive.
4. What are your future plans and aspirations, what should we expect from you in the near future?
I hope to keep developing my skill in the near future. Ultimately, I would like to own an art gallery. But before then, I want to exhibit my works in big institutions, sell more of my works and have my own solo exhibition.
Victor is a 19 year old artist in Abuja, Nigeria. A student of Architecture at Bells University of Technology, he specializes in hyper realistic pencil, pastel drawings and oil paintings. You can reach him on Instagram @v_ictor__
