Interviews
Jenkins Okpokpor
What do you aim to say by the themes in your art?
There is a lot of reckoning with the theme "Though I Walk" as it is an allegory for a spiritual quest in which the experience to which it refers is an in-depth realm of expressions.
Put succinctly, the dystopian experience of the turmoils and dread of tragedy brings to consciousness that everything happening around us is related.
It begins with the main thing we share together which is the Earth and thinking about how we're all going to be at a huge disadvantage when it starts disappearing
Where does your inspiration come from?
Over the years, you'd never expect where you'd end up no matter how much you try to plan for the unknown. For this reason, I make art simply for the shortness of life that seems to become more noticeable as the things we often take for granted, become more threatened by an ever-changing world.
Do you have any experiences that have impacted your art?
Yes, along the lines of all the things to languish about in our generation, it is still amazing how We can experience so much trauma, struggle, heartache, strife and still see and preserve the potential for good. This has shifted and impacted my art.
Do you feel your art challenges existing barriers?
My art is a tool in which I have found useful in exploring diverse situations and create possibilities of absorbing and processing the world around us. It may become political, in this way I don't have a choice on its destination anymore. It would just be the reality.
What are your long-term artistic goals?
Aside from obviously getting to the peak of self-actualization as a professional artist, my purest intent is to actively run an art-centered foundation where minds can be affected positively.
What advice do you have for aspiring artists?
Aspiring artists should be indicative of what they want in the art world and go for it as long as they mean well. Always build and hinge on confidence as they learn from someone higher. They should as well gather ample strength for the times ahead.