Karo Akpokiere is a Nigerian graphic designer who’s deeply interested in using drawing to connect his interests in the written and visual aspects of popular culture with experiences and observations taken from living life. We’ve teamed up with Karo to produce a limited edition of skateboards featuring artwork that embodies the values of Oliberté. We sat down with Karo to discuss passion, struggles and change in our world.
How did you get involved in the art world?
When I actively started to show my work publicly. This was in 2010.
What inspires your work?
Language (visual and written) and everyday life situations.
If you could sit down with one person in the world, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Mungo Park. I would like to know what it felt like for him to have ‘discovered’ river Niger.
What can we expect from you in the future?
More work that reflect my interests in piecing experiences and observations together. At the moment, I’m preparing for a group exhibition (2nd Berliner Herbstsalon) opening Friday the 13th through the 29th November at the Maxim Gorki Theater, Berlin.
If you could see a change in the world, what would that change be?
Less focus on money, more focus on community and how our actions or the lack of them affect everything.
What has been your biggest struggle getting to where you are now?
Finding the right people to work with, people who have a long-term view towards things.
What advice would you give other artists hoping to turn passion into a path?
I think turning passion into a path is quite similar to taking a walk in the dark and feeling your way through. There will be lots of doubtful moments, lots of uncertainty and confusion as you make make the walk. It’s important to keep moving regardless, to have a heart of gratitude, a giving spirit and to be open to being flexible as there is usually more than one way to get a point. In the process of moving, you would get to know more about yourself, be more in tune with your interests and probably gain new ones. This heightened awareness, will lead you to make decisions that will bring you to places you need to be and people you need to meet. I don’t know…. You will figure out a lot of things on the way.
“Keep exploring, attitudes and necessities always meet up at some point and when it does, people will recognise the potential solutions you propose”. Ten Tenorio
Karo Akpokiere
www.karoakpokiere.com
