Enemonalisa, 2022

Daniel Oguche Junior  

Daniel Oguche Junior hails from Kogi State Nigeria, He was born in his mid-90s in the northern part of Nigeria. He is a native of the Igala tribe. He developed his interest in Art at a very young age which saw him playing with pieces of paper and even making sketches at the back of his notes in school. He is a self-taught figurative and portrait artist who developed his skills by exploring mediums like charcoal, acrylic, and oil paint. These mediums help him communicate his ideas, thoughts, and emotions through Art. He graduated with a B.Tech in Surveying and Geo-informatics from the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria.

The art he creates is deeply influenced by the world around him, drawing inspiration from his immediate environment, as well as life experiences both in the past and the present. What motivates him as an artist is the ability to spark emotions and provoke thoughts through his works, he creates art because he sees it as a form of propagating culture and telling stories of his people. His artistic journey has been an ongoing exploration of self-expression and continuous growth. Daniel depicts owls in his works because he came from a community that was named after owls by his ancestors, he tends to capture the essence, wisdom, awareness, and connection to his ancestral heritage. He believes so much in his identity because various factors such as personal experiences, beliefs, Values, cultural background, relationships, and individual characteristics play a role in his life as an artist. He incorporates traditional beads in his works showcasing the depth and beauty of the traditions of his people, these traditional beads have symbolic meanings to each culture. The inclusion of yellow/gold and black eyes in his subject's representation serves to bestow a unique identity, as these colors hold immense cultural value in his culture. The vibrant yellow or gold symbolizes hospitality and richness, and the black embodies fertility and the rich mineral resources of the land. Through his art, he explores themes of love, societal issues, struggles, culture, family, and identity that encompasses the diverse aspect of human experiences. He hopes to create a form of dialogue in the minds of his audience through his art.