About Adebanji
RÉSUMÉ
1972 – Born in February, Hackney London
1992-1997 – HND Fine Art, Yaba College of Technology
2003-2005 – Diploma in Portraiture, Heatherley’s School of Fine Art
2012 – Elected an Associate Member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters
2014 – Elected a full member of The Guild of Fine Art, Nigeria
2014 – Elected to the council of the Chelsea Art Society
2015 – Started teaching at Heatherley’s School of Fine Art, Chelsea.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
My work is all about people and places.
I strive to bring the force and power of the sketch into every piece I embark on. I am a strong believer in sketching and I believe everything in art starts with a sketch, so, in my works you’ll always feel the power and sense of a captured moment. I work from life and from photo references but the mission is the same-to bring a lively sketchy feel to the completed piece.
I like to focus on people because I love the play of light, moods, emotions, beauty and the variety that each face brings. I also love places because I get inspired by the atmosphere, historical importance, mood and the play of light that a particular place can offer at any point in time.
METHOD OF WORKING
I work directly from life or from photo references. I paint directly without building up successive layers of paint. I paint shape by shape, a technique I call inside-out, in which the painting is embarked upon from a spot inside the workspace and I spread out, still working shape by shape until the whole piece is complete. I also work from broad shapes to details, a technique I call outside-in, where the painting starts off with broad strokes to cover the ground and then finished off with details on the inside.
I mainly work with oils but I use acrylics, watercolour, pastels, Coloured pencils, charcoal and graphite and I also love to combine these in mixed media works too.
SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS
- Royal Institute of Oil Painters
- Chelsea Art Society
- Guild of Fine Art, Nigeria
- Urban Sketchers Worldwide
- Plein Air Brotherhood