Paper-Marche by the Corner

Young Nigerians are beyond talented, and we are here to make sure you see just how good they are, which is why in the creative corner, we will invite young and talented Nigerian creatives to talk about their art, interests, and how they manage their creativity in the Nigerian environment.

In today’s creative corner, we’re having Shanktel, a 600-level medical student who is also a mixed-media artist who works with papier-mache and acrylic paint to make some of the best artworks you’ll ever see.

Let’s dive into how she discovered her amazing talent and how she came up with her very own unique style of making art. 

Tell us a bit about what you do.

I’m a mixed-media artist, and I use paper-mache, texture, and acrylic paint as my media. I create art about people, cultures, and events I find interesting. So when I get a plot, I just sketch it down and start creating. 

How did you know you could do this? 

It all started in 2020, during the lockdown. I was practicing with different media, I think I started with colored pencils and charcoal pencils and started with making drawings using geometric shapes and all of that because I was really interested in making shapes, but after a few months, i realized i wanted to do something different, and my primary motivation was Laolu Senbanjo.

picture from laolu.nyc

He does all these body paintings and patterns. I listened to one of his seminars and read one of his articles where he spoke about his journey in art and how he found the sacred art of the Ori to be his thing. He just went with it, and when people see it, they can tell this is Laoulu's work. Even if it isn't his, people would give him credit for it. I wanted something like that for myself. I know that hyper-realism might not be for me because a lot of people can do hyper-realism, and at the end of the day it just looks like a picture. 

I wanted to do something different, so I got into sculpting. I was inspired by this sculptor, who made very large pieces with scrap metal. I thought about relief, but I thought my hands were not built for wood sculptures. I know I can do it, but my hands are small, and I don't think I have the strength for it. 

So one random day, I thought about paper mache, and I did it as I remembered it from secondary school. I used old newspapers and text books we had at home, and I made it like normal paper. That's how I made my first artwork. I sold that piece, and I haven't done anything like it. 

I tried something else—my second attempt at paper-marche. It took some time, but I tried spray painting. I was mostly experimenting. It was the first work I used texture for. I didn't know how to go about it at first. I went on YouTube to learn more about it, but I didn't have most of the materials. I tried other things. I tried spraying silver paint on it, but it was so bland. 

My mom later asked me to paint it, which I did. It looked weird and incomplete, and I wondered how to bring out the definition. An idea later came to me. I used this correcting fluid to detail everything. When it was done, I screamed. It was immaculate. 

As a medical student, you have a lot of artistic inspiration. Do you think the medical sciences and arts clash? 

No, they don't. I can manage myself very well. I would say they complement each other. 

How so? 

Patience, research, and determination. I think when I was finding myself, the stress and struggles of medicine made it easier. 

I think they both teach me virtues. My art teaches me that no matter how hard or bulky medicine may seem, as long as I could get the hack of making paper-mache and texture and understand complexity, how much more medicine? It is practice, and it is the same thing. 

What are the biggest challenges to being an artist? 

Do you know how many times I've failed??? 

Nigeria must be fighting against you.

I actually don't have a lot of challenges. I have just one, which is finding the right target audience. I don't have issues getting interested clients, but when I do, they complain about my prices. 

I think my prices are quite fair. And if I were selling with a gallery or a museum, I know it would be more expensive because the gallery would make me more popular so they could connect me with good buyers. It is very difficult for me to ride solo. 

I've tried dropping prices before, and it's like they were just paying for the materials, and it shouldn't be that way. 

I feel like the time, dedication, and expertise that go into my work should be worth more. But right now, I also feel it is a phase that will pass. I might not sell now, but I know the right buyers will come. 

How do you put prices on your artwork? 

First, it depends on the size. Then the location, the framing (if it is framed or not), the type of frame, and also the skill. The skill part usually takes up a higher percentage of the price. 

Do you have any advice for the creatives in medical school who are trying to manifest their creativity? 

I would say just do it. When I was in 100th grade, they did an orientation and asked something about art, and one of the doctors said if I wanted to do art, then I shouldn't be here. I was demoralized for some time, but I eventually did it during the lockdown. 

I want you guys to know that you're a different breed and you can do whatever you set your mind to; just know what works for you and work for it. Nobody will care about how you got there, but they'll praise you for it. Like Nike says, just do it!