I always marvel at the famous verse in the bible that says “Ye are gods”, you might ask yourself why God would equate humans to gods. I guess it is because he has given us the ability to create beauty amongst other things. God definitely thought of this verse when he created Famous Umobuarie, a Nigerian Hyper-Realist who pours his heart into his drawings.
Instagram @fame_identity
Talking about Hyper realism, Famous says “My style of drawing is called Hyper Realism. Hyper Realism is the art of creating drawings, sculptures and paintings that look very realistic and have the ability to touch people
“It has to do with the physical and emotions attached to it. Hyper Realism isn’t just drawing from photographs for the fun of it but drawing for the sole purpose of passing a message to whoever sees the art work. For example, whenever I draw the female figure, I hope to communicate a feeling or an idea. My art is not passive or an object, it is an agent of reflection.”
When asked to talk about his muse and symbolisms that can clearly be found in his art, he responds ” I love creating drawings using the humble pencil because it helps me connect with my subject or reference as I draw. Each stroke I make is a step forward.
“I generally draw from the thing around me. I look closely at the environment, society and circumstance to see if an idea, emotion or feeling can be communicated using bodies, symbols and titles.
“People are amazing and my source of inspiration are the billions of beautiful souls walking the face of the earth. Before I start drawing, I study my references for days and sometimes, a week before putting to canvas or paper what I want to create either using a pencil or a ball pen.
“Our need to effectively communicate with each other is essential, if we cannot communicate, we cannot relate and bond and by extension we can’t mate and survive. Furthermore, I am a contemporary hyper realist because I love it and I love facial features and the human body. It is amazing to work on! Drawing pores and pimples, sweat falling from the skin. It excites me a lot!”
Speaking on the message he passes to people with his art, Famous says “I use my art as a means of communicating with people and telling stories. One notable piece I have done that depicts this is “1975”. I was actually the model for this piece, I had to use myself as a case study and the drawing “1975” was inspired by the late Fela Kuti, the great legend who sang the evergreen song “Water no get enemy”. The song touched me when I heard it playing on the radio one day. I thought of creating something out of nothing and I got to work.
“The drawing “1975” talks about the significance of water in the life of a human being, water is life and nobody can do without it. In the song he said ‘if you want to bath your child, you go use water; if you want to cook, you go use water; water calms a hot head’ and these lyrics inspired me to create the drawing. The title of the art work “1975” was coined from when the song was released (Unfortunately, “1975” was not featured in this article)
“In conclusion, Hyper Realism is amazing!”
If there is one thing we can learn from Hyper Realist, Famous Umobuarie, It is that as humans, we definitely have the capability to breathe life into our own creations.
So even as you go through life everyday, never forget that “Ye are gods”
