Following our last interview in 2023, Chidinma Yemisi Mordi has continued to excel in the art work, exhibiting her art within and outside the country. In this interview with Daily Trust on Sunday, Mordi speaks on her ongoing Paris exhibition and the journey so far.
Will you say your art evolved since we last spoke?
Yes, tremendously. The last time we spoke, I was holding my first ever exhibition in the Discovery Museum, Art Tech District Abuja and since then I’ve had two solo exhibitions, and two group exhibitions, one of which was in London, United Kingdom. I am now currently participating in another group exhibition in Paris, France.
Are there any new techniques or themes you’ve explored?
Absolutely, I like to attribute the second half of 2023 as the season I discovered my unique style as an artist or more like I found a way to combine all my creative inclinations to tell a single story of a painting. I have a distinct use of gold patterns in my work and I like to use vibrant colours. Finding a way to integrate my architectural background, use of lines and patterns, fabric design and silhouettes has been a major highlight in my journey as an artist so far.
What role does storytelling play in your artwork, and can you share a particular story that inspired one of your pieces?
It is vital, it is the foundation of every piece I create and being heavily inspired by the beauty of my Nigerian heritage expands the bandwidth for me. The stories are inexhaustible. One of my most precious pieces of work is titled, “Saturday Morning”. I painted the very first version in the year 2017, using acrylic on textured cardboard. My inspiration was from the common Saturday morning routine we have in most Nigerian homes; cleaning, washing clothes and the smell of akara and pap as it filled the home. They are memories that a lot of people cherish and can relate to whenever they come across that painting. Because of the significance of this painting, so loved by my mother, I decided to recreate it every 6 years. There are currently two versions, one of which I recreated last year. I hope that as I grow and evolve as an artist each piece can carry the story of the level of my creativity in the year I painted it.
What do you hope to achieve with your Paris exhibition, both personally and professionally?
Firstly, I am grateful that Nigerian artists are crossing borders–our stories matter. The resilience it takes to create beautiful things in an arduous environment needs to be celebrated. So exposure, I hope to get more exposure. It is important that great work gets to be seen by more people. Because I put so much love into the pieces I create, it is my desire that more people get to experience the beauty that art brings, the story it tells and the healing it offers. I believe this covers personal and professional ambition, good exposure will aid in pivoting my work as an artist. I would say strategic exposure will aid but I truly cannot attribute any growth I have made so far to myself, God has been orchestrating my path for me all the way.
Can you share a behind-the-scenes moment or a particularly memorable experience from the preparation of this exhibition?
Oh yes, it is quite a story to be honest. The exposure from the previous group exhibition I had in London opened up opportunities for me. One of which is this present exhibition, “L’été Parisien: The Contemporary Edition” in Paris. When I received the email congratulating me I was ecstatic and quickly called up my parents, who have been incredible support and cheerleaders through my journey as an artist. First thing my mother said was, “Comment ca va?” and we all laughed, a beautiful and cherished moment for me. However, as I prepared to make the trip for this exhibition, I was unaware of a little disappointment along the way. While informing my close family and friends and receiving support from them, I began preparing for the trip, planning my outfit for the exhibition, application for a visa, and pretty much everything necessary for a trip preparation. I did not know that a visa denial awaited me. I was disappointed for a moment but having been promised to get live updates of the event, thanks to technology and the amazing curator of Oreofe Art Gallery, I was quite comforted and hopeful that the next international exhibition I have I will be present physically for it.
How do you balance staying true to your artistic vision while appealing to an international audience?
I strongly believe that one’s art will find its audience. So, apart from commissions where a client specifies what they want as it aligns with my style as an artist, I am under no pressure to appease any demographic. Art is very subjective, while it is a common thought that a large percentage of the international audience may find abstract art more intriguing there are still people amongst them who would find comfort in non-descriptive cultural art pieces. Also, a lot of Nigerians enjoy abstract art, others more descriptive pieces, so it holds no value to generalise. Frankly speaking, it has not been challenging at all sticking to my nuances as an artist, I paint what I am inspired to paint, the important thing for me is that when someone sees my work they know Chidinma Yemisi Mordi painted that. I just always aim to put a lot of soul into my pieces.
Can you discuss any specific experiences or travels that have significantly influenced your recent work?
More of an experience really, in the later months of last year, I had a challenging season in my faith. Trusting God for certain things, I had prayed about and not seeing results,took a hit on my hope. And hope is vital to truly living, if you’re not hoping for anything because you fear disappointment, you are not living. So, I struggled with hope, I was fine as long as I did not hope for anything. My pieces during this time inform the fight I was having, struggling to have big dreams about my future. The title of these pieces were powerful, titles like “Things I say to myself: Magical days are here”, “Stay soft”, “The softness of a mother’s love” because through these moments I will talk to my mother about how despondent I felt and she will always tell me “Chidinma believe, don’t doubt God”, titles like, “The price of a dream in Nigeria” and “Fighting to keep hope alive”.
How do you see your work contributing to the global conversation about contemporary African art?
I believe that my pieces will stir up conversations on how vital storytelling in art is. The synergy from the factors that come into play in my artistry is still something that I am growing to understand. It is fascinating even to me, growing up with a father who is a journalist by profession, the art of storytelling naturally attached itself to me, having been influenced to study architecture to a Master’s degree level from being around a grandfather who was an architect as a child and having artistic inclinations from childhood all sum up to play in my work. The peculiarity of my artistic faculty in an environment with a budding appreciation for art is an example of the many gifts of undiscovered artists in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. I hope my work is a roadmap and stirs up conversation about many other artists like myself bringing in all their experiences together to create art that shares their story with the world.
What are some of the most memorable reactions you’ve received from viewers of your art?
A memorable moment for me was seeing the reception of the second version of my painting, “Saturday Morning”, exhibited at my second solo exhibition, “Give Tomorrow a Chance” which was held in November, 2023 at the Dolapo Obat Gallery, Abuja. It being one of my mother’s favourite paintings of mine was one thing but seeing people relate to the shared experiences we had growing up in Nigerian households; the Saturday morning cleaning, washing of clothes and the preparation of akara and pap as breakfast was an experience I will not forget quickly. Knowing that even while navigating the difficulties of adulthood, people could find a form of comfort in the form of nostalgia from something I created warmed my heart. I hope to do more of that through my paintings.
How do you perceive the future of African art in the global art market?
I see exponential growth in the market for African art, the world is opening up. People are seeing beyond themselves, people are moving beyond their boundaries and seeking to know and care about other human beings, their pain, the causes and experiences. That is hopeful and it means more people are willing to learn about Africa beyond the news and stereotypes. The world will see that there are beautiful things happening from the little places in Africa.
What trends or changes do you foresee?
People who have had the littlest propensity to creativity will begin to explore it with less fear and with time more styles or niches and art forms will evolve. There will be beauty everywhere, from everywhere and from everyone. Parents will not discourage children from studying art because of their scepticism and the thought of it being a less secure career path.
