We were lucky to catch up with Toki Awonuga recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Toki, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

For a while now, I’ve been working on a personal project that motivates me daily to keep creating. Put simply, I am worldbuilding a dark fantasy universe that combines West African and European Gothic aesthetics and storytelling. The whole world is alive and growing in my mind, with more characters, creatures, environments, and narratives springing up constantly.

I started creating this world about six years ago, shortly after deciding to pursue art as my career. Making progress and finding work in this field sometimes feels slow and painful. Through these challenges, my worldbuilding project has been an internal source of motivation, and a lifeline for my artistic career through some of the most difficult years. It keeps me inspired and eager to create, despite the obstacles.

Thankfully, I’ve been fortunate to have professional opportunities that align with my vision, especially designing Afrofuturistic characters for a few upcoming video games. The experience of working alongside amazing artists, who had worked on incredible projects like the Black Panther films, opened my eyes to the potential of my own worldbuilding project, and lit a fire under me to see it through.

Of course, this project is rooted in my own history and identity. It’s a co-creation alongside my inner child, who loved the fantasy genre but never saw himself represented in it. By creating my own universe, I get to combine everything I love about my favorite IPs– like The Lord of the Rings and the Legacy of Kain series– and tailor it for the French-Nigerian kid who thought he couldn’t be a “knight in shining armor,” because he didn’t “look like one.” In the world I am creating, magic is for everyone. Òrìṣàs (West African deities), cathedrals, witches, knights, and fantastical creatures co-exist seamlessly. Building it is inspiring and fulfilling on a personal level, but I also hope that it has an impact beyond my own gratification, as a source of meaningful and positive representation.

So far, I have a handful of characters designed, some short stories, and a comic script in the works. I really just want to bring the world to life and collaborate with other like-minded artists, regardless of the medium. The joy is in letting this world blossom in whatever way feels most authentic. Ultimately, I think it will take many different forms; my only hope is that it resonates with others.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello all! My name is Toki Awonuga, I am a freelance artist with recent experience as a concept artist in the video game industry. I’ve designed Afrofuturistic and historical character costumes, high-tech gadgets, and weapons for some upcoming titles.

While most of my work has been 2D digital character concept art, I consider myself a generalist; I enjoy pencil and charcoal sketching, clay sculpting, environment art, and miniature painting, and am learning 3D sculpting through ZBrush.

My influences are also pretty diverse, including classic fantasy IPs, European graphic novels, 90s anime, video games of all genres, comics, and tabletop games. Like I mentioned earlier, my work aims to combine these influences with West African themes and aesthetics.

In a few weeks, I’ll be launching an Etsy store for prints, original pieces, commissions, miniatures, and cool merch :)

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

In my experience, isolation is one of the biggest struggles of pursuing art. Particularly for people with limited resources, who have to be self-taught and don’t have access to mentorships or college art programs, it’s a really lonely process. Getting connected to other artists often feels like a “pay to play” situation; it’s expensive and intimidating to get in the room with people already in the field. Also, there aren’t many intuitive ways to meaningfully connect with other aspiring or freelance artists. I think that society could best support artists by making art education more accessible, and providing more free collaboration spaces for artists to meet in-person.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the most challenging things I had to unlearn was the non-stop “hustle” mentality. I think we get a lot of messages that success is all about doing more, faster, and better than everyone else. And sure, working 18-hour days, going without sleep, and living off energy drinks got me through my college years, but it’s simply not sustainable long-term. The art field in particular, which demands a lot not only in terms of time and effort, but also mental and emotional energy, requires a “marathon” mindset. It’s really, really not a sprint. Just learning the skills takes years, not to mention keeping up a social media presence, fielding judgment from friends and family, working in isolation, applying for jobs, and trying to create/maintain a professional and personal network. Becoming a successful artist is a massive undertaking, particularly coming in without resources, experience, or references. Certainly, it requires significant effort; but even more so, it requires time. When I first started pursuing art professionally, I thought I could just keep my nose to the grindstone, nonstop, and would be working full-time for a studio within a couple of years. But the fact is, learning the foundations simply can’t be rushed. Ultimately, my health, serenity, and relationships paid the price for me overworking for so long. I’m still trying to recover from that, and transition to an intentional, steady pace of work. I want to be creating for as many years as I possibly can; to me, art is not just a career, but a lifestyle. So, I need a routine that encourages not only progress, but also longevity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artstation.com/toki60
• Instagram: @tokiawonuga
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toki-awonuga-187356172/