Kush who has many future ambitions, one of these, to create his own Belfast mural with a Nigerian twist!
As a child growing up in the busy city of Lagos, Nigeria, Kush was always sketching from observations of the world around him. He loved creating cartoons and continued to dabble in many mediums from charcoal to oil and acrylic. Originally following a career in civil engineering at the University of Lagos, he realised that his interest lay within the university’s art department and the decision was made easy.
Kush remembers, “A switch to animation was the defining moment, as I decided to follow my head and my heart to do what I really enjoyed! However, an initial career in photographic and studio work involved long hours, with many of these involving weddings. It all helped to cover the day-to-day bills but it wasn’t where I wanted to be” Kush reflects.
However, when Kush’s interest in pattern became his moniker, his career trajectory took a different direction. Drawing inspiration from the visual arts and in particular patterns, Kush’s fascination with African designs, organically depict the Nsibidi symbols with a mixture of traditional tribal marks, commonly used in African ethnic communities to identify tribes and culture, such as Yorubas marks from south western Nigeria and other African tribes.
His skills which bring about unique abstract art combining letter forms where words become the patterns, use a signature style embracing the art if ‘Ila’- made up of lines and patterns.
Explaining Kush said, “Transposing the original theme into English language alphabet letters was a revelation to me and the connection between letters and patterns as a type of puzzle to be explored and unravelled. I attribute this transformative bridge to one of my treasured inspirational quotes from Christopher Alexander asserting that, ‘patterns as a problem that occur in a given environment, and in it is a solution that can be used multiple times, without using it the same way to form an impression’. “This stream of work tells a story; a puzzle for people to decipher. It engages with and draws the viewer in”.
Enthused by the designs he was creating, he moved into branded merchandise, including clothing and footwear, successfully championed in a campaign by model, Shaun Ollison. Kush’s dalliance with Ila both in art and merchandise also grew in popularity on Kush’s home turf in Nigeria, bringing a Special Recognition Award in 2021 from an arts and culture award platform. Interest from other digital outlets and platforms increased showing growing demand for Kush’s unique style of graphic communication.
And his approach has certainly worked as he hasn’t looked back, already to great acclaim exhibiting art across Europe - in London, Barcelona, Paris, Athens, then New York. Kush also took part in the 2023 Artbox Digital Art Project.
When he arrived in Belfast, he noticed the many wall murals and wishing to find out more about the local culture, he decided to actively engage with the community. “It is really important for me to continue to understand the local culture and way of life, so I can integrate this in my future work here, as this is now my home and base.” Kush said.
As an art facilitator at Family Comfort NI, and a registered Superprof online tutor, Kush has already had a successful solo exhibition in October 2024 at the Arts for All gallery, Belfast. Fuelled by the interest from designers fascinated by his art style, his plans to reach wider audiences through his art and perhaps make his own mural mark on a wall near you sometime soon!
To find out more about Kush’s work please visit www.kush-ila.info
