East Africa's Hyper-Realist sensation finally opens up

Art by Eddy 'Beuer' Ochieng

East Africa’s Hyper-Realist Sensation Finally Opens Up: EDDIE OCHIENG'S WORK HAS RECEIVED A LOT OF ATTENTION ON SOCIAL MEDIA EARNING HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISPLAY HIS MASTERPIECES WORLDWIDE.

Eddie Ochieng is an artist based in Kenya. His work has received a lot of attention on social media and has earned him the opportunity to display his masterpieces at some of the most prestigious galleries throughout Africa and the rest of the world. He participated in the Kenyan Art fair in 2017, and the Nairobi art community received him warmly.

Recently he made his mark at the Franschhoek art fair in Cape Town, South Africa, where his paintings were all the rage, and even earned him invitations to Art festivals in America.

Like most of the great artists throughout history, Mr Ochieng is a bit of an introvert. His art is an attempt to show people the world as he sees it and what he finds beautiful and feels is relevant.

“I am fascinated with faces.” Started Mr Ochieng, “there is so much detail and character hidden there, in plain sight.”

His hyperrealism journey is one that touches on people and the faces you see at every stage of life. He accurately depicts the vitality and brilliance of youth and also the character and wisdom that comes with age.

“I believe that every wrinkle on a person’s face tells a story and I hope that when someone views my work, they feel it,” said Mr Ochieng.

Journey into Hyperrealism

How did you end up in Hyperrealism?

In high school I realised my talent for drawing, I started off with pencil drawings, and I drew pretty much anything that was in front of me. I did landscapes, portraits, still life and even anatomy. My high school art teacher, Mr Mutinda, noticed my interest in art and started to push me, ‘you don’t have to be perfect’ he said, ‘just take any surface and do something … anything’.

Eddy Ochieng

I began to experiment with more classic themes; you know, the bowl of fruits and floral paintings. Mr Mutinda placed a demand on me to deliver anything I wanted to, and that forced me to take a long, hard look at myself. This did more than awaken my inner artist, it set me on a journey of self-discovery.”

*Pauses to reflect* Doing fine art at Kenyatta University was a whole different ordeal. I really worked on my craft and thanks to the lecturer Mr Moses Wanjuki, I improved drastically. I can say I got some of my cues from him when it comes to technique and the finer details of proportions and anatomy.

In university, we would have exhibitions at the end of every semester and we were given themes that would guide our projects. But because of the pressure of attaining high marks, I didn’t I gave it my all. There was no passion in there, just a task. However, they decided to let us pick themes. I was already deeply fascinated by faces and now it was time to explore that and so I started to flirt with Hyperrealism. It was challenging to say the least, and I was nowhere near as good as I am now.

I remember at one point in the middle of doing my ‘water series’ I asked myself ‘What on earth have I gotten myself into’ Hehe. It was very difficult. But with every painting, I kept learning and pushing the boundaries of what I could do. And in the process, I developed an appetite for challenges.

I remember during my final project I decided to paint the face of an old man. I enjoyed it. And when the lecturers saw it, they were all impressed. Right then, I knew that Hyperrealism was it for me.

Have you considered doing anything other art forms?

Yes. But I don’t know what shape that will take yet.

Have there been any challenges so far?

Yes. Social media is how I get people’s attention with my work and sometimes some people can steal the photo and post it as though it was their own and get some mileage from that and there isn’t really much of a way to protect against that.

Also, some clients can have the best intentions when commissioning for work but when it’s time to paying they ghost you. And it takes a lot of effort and persistence to get your compensation. People don’t really have you high on the list of priorities but what I do is go and see the client in person and together we find a way to ensure that compensation goes higher on the list of priorities, Hehe.

Also, another challenge is the cost of materials. In order to attain the best quality finish one need good quality materials and those don’t come cheap.

Is fine art sustainable as a career choice?

It is. But it depends more on the artist. The vision and drive that the artist has. Also how badly do you want it? There are some artists that could be talented but only exhibit their work at school, for example.

In art, you create your own path. And if you need to be aggressive enough to go out there and let the world know that you exist. That’s completely on you!

What is the art scene in Nairobi like?

It’s still developing. The rest of the world is a bit more advanced than Kenya but there’s a silver lining here. This way I get to be among the pioneers of something great in Kenya, Hehe.

What inspires you?

The lessons that both my art teachers imparted on me keep me going. Also, I love art that makes you think for example the South African painter Ballou, his work got me thinking and forced me to be better.

I’ll answer that this way. One time I was commissioned to do a painting, and once I was done I delivered to the client’s residence. The moment the lady saw the painting I saw her facial expression change immediately. I was wondering if I had done something wrong and my frantic thoughts were interrupted by her tears. It was the purest expression of emotion I had seen. Turns out she was moved beyond words! ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊