Artist of the Week – Sumaina Isaac

POSTED IN Art, Art history, Culture, Digital art
By Adefoyeke Ajao
Sumaina Isaac is many things rolled into one: a qualified engineer, a practising visual artist and the head honcho of SMKY arts, an enterprise which focuses on comic book illustrations and Tshirt art. Born in Benin City, the graduate of the University of Benin is a self-taught artist whose professional training in art is limited to the knowledge garnered in art classes at primary and secondary school.

 

Sumaina Isaac

Sumaina Isaac

 

Besides practising on his own, Isaac honed his skills by working a variety of odd jobs: he had a stint as a cartoonist for The Nigerian Observer, a local newspaper, and also helped with his mother’s catering business; fine-tuning her cake designs.

 

 

The world as seen through his art is a blend of spiritual, cultural and familiar artefacts. Each artwork painted with acrylic – his preferred medium – tells a story about his various influences. In Body Medicine, he pays homage to Yoga and the female anatomy through a nude woman striking the Rajakapotasana or King Pigeon pose – a form of exercise that strengthens the back and the groin. In Ugie, a tribute to the Benin Empire’s annual Igue Festival, an ‘Eben’ (leaf-shaped ceremonial sword) is prominently depicted alongside other emblems and figures from the kingdom. Keke Pose draws attention to the tricycle, a mode of transportation that has become much more famous for its functionality than its aesthetic design.

 

 

There is more to Isaac’s work beyond being creations of an enthusiastic autodidact. His art can
best be described as semi-abstract, containing identifiable forms that stop short of being
realistic representations. In addition, he isn’t afraid to experiment with a variety of surfaces be
it canvas, paper, fabric or even pastry.

 

 

To see more of Sumaina Isaac’s designs, visit his Art635 page or his Instagram profile
@smky_arts

 

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