babajide b. olatunji: recreating life in pencil

Art is one of many great channels to provoke thought and evoke emotion; emotion that many times we don’t understand or can’t put into words. For a human being to be able to create illustrious visuals mirroring man is undeniably great, which shows that there is God in man. The use of pencils, charcoals, and pastels is all Artist, Babjide B. Olatunji needs to create perfected Realism.

By Tip Jordan, AFROPUNK Contributor *

In regards to his inspiration Babajide stated, “I regard the face as the door to one’s soul. Each piece is a journey in pursuit of revelation; a quest for perception of the human beyond the persona. I can never tire of creating faces or composing themes. There’s always something new to unravel and show to the world. I want my viewers to look beyond what is seen, to what is suggested; to what lies beneath the facade of the human visage, to the man or tale beneath, to the revelation of verity.”

“I want to tell the story of the old woman who sells me roasted corn down the street on my evening walks or the man who mends shoes two houses down. I want the world to know that random face in the crowd that will only be seen once this lifetime. I want to reveal their joys and disappointments, their laughter, their pains and anger, their quest for meaning and peace. I want to show their hope and courage and their pursuit of a better eventuality.” Is the saying true, that the eyes are the windows to one’s soul? What do you see when you look into someone’s eye: a hallow mind, screaming heart or peace? For these images to originate from mere man is evident of the greatness we are all capable of when reaching a higher consciousness within ourselves, I challenge you to try it and create your Realism through the channels of life.

If you’d like to see more of Babajide’s artwork and contact him, visit his Facebook page. * Tip Jordan’s blog: www.beingtip.com