Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Patrick Chidiebube Ozuma . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Patrick Chidiebube , appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
My life as an artists started at a very young age, I grew up as one of the talented kids in the street, making the best toy cars, disassembling and assembling electronic gadgets and of course recreating drawings from comic books and all magazines I could lay my hands on. I always dreamt of doing great things one day but I never knew which creative area it was going to be.
Like most multitalented individuals , I struggled to find my area of specialization. however, mentorship helped me solve this challenge. I discovered my passion for art is way stronger so I had to study visual art in the higher institution to further harness my skill and get a back up degree.
The higher institution was a great place to learn the rules of art and follow them but it’s not anything compared to practicing in the art industry so I had to sort for mentorship through internship which I could have done before I went to school. I understood that if I had a proper mentor while growing up, it could have speed up my growth and my understanding of how the visual art industry works.
Remembering these challenges and how tough it was, I can only be thankful to my parents for instilling the spirit of resilience in me as a child.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a visual artist and environmental advocate using Art to raise awareness on the excesses of our tech centric lifestyle and the dangers it pose to us and the environment. I employ imageries of cyberpunk figures to portray evolution and the over attachment of humans to latest technologies which mostly result to electronic wastes.
I work predominantly with electronic waste materials to represent the psychological relationship between coding and human behaviour. Bringing together fragments of waste computer keyboards and allied parts to form my sculptures. This analogy centers on the importance of coming together of bodies in unity to make the society work.
My body of work advocates unity, an euphoria built in acceptance and love. I has a major interest in the contemporary understanding of socially shaped ‘unconscious behaviours’
primarily influenced by our immediate society. I strongly believe that the success of the human community is solely dependent on the development of every individual according to a preferred formular of adaptation with the goal to create a unique self and to strengthen collaborations for collective development.
My job as an artist is similar to that of a philosopher, but instead of words I use imageries to tell the story and propose theorems. My work is a way of thinking; creating a powerful influence in the
human mind to inspire, educate and encourage self awareness as a means to unity.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Art is not just a product or luxury, Art is sustenance. But you’ll only understand this when absurdity hits and you have a question no one could answer. This is when sculpture, painting, poetry means a lot.
The widespread influence of technology on our lives and the environment is a core focus of my work and a key question I explore.
New technologies like genetic engineering and nanotechnology are a big part of our lives now. They can be helpful, but also overwhelming and will be much more in the coming years.
Sometimes, artists can capture the spirit of their time, and if I can create something that resonates with someone, that’s all I can hope for.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
‘The Philosophy of Freedom’ by , Goethe scholar, and esotericist Rudolf Steiner states that the sole possibility of human freedom, if it exists at all, must be sought in an awareness of the motives of our actions. The emphasis on self awareness is important for being an artist.
Art has wrapped me in the blanket of self knowledge, it made me better understand myself and my quest to attain freedom.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Ozuma_patrick
- Facebook: Ozuma Patrick Chidiebube
- Linkedin: Ozuma Patrick Chidiebube
- Twitter: Ozuma Patrick Chidiebube
Image Credits
Kholes_shot_it