Jacqueline Suowari
For Nigerian ballpoint pen and drafts woman Jacqueline Suowari, exploring the frontiers that carve links into multiple human experiences through the lens of perception is vital because she believes ‘perception’ is everything and human stories and experiences form the lens through which we understand life and human expressions. Jacqueline is a rare breed; a lady with beauty, brains and extreme talent. A visual artist since she was a child, her stunning work is globally recognised with solo exhibitions in Miami and Nigeria.
Jacqueline Suowari
Interviewed by: THOMASINA R. LEGEND
Photography: Morgan Otagburuagu
MUA: Peace Polycarp
Photo assistant: Josephine Agoh
PR: DBD AFRICA
Location: African Artist Foundation (AAF LAGOS)
10 years in practice is no easy feat. What was the light bulb moment that made you realize that your purpose is art? I have always loved to draw and paint. I started seriously drawing from the age of five. Being a creative had become second nature to me. When I got older, I just knew there was nothing else I’d rather be doing.
You have come a long way and without a doubt, your success is anything but accidental because it takes A LOT of intentionality to get to where you currently are. What are the key, practical steps you took as an artist while building your career? You are very correct about intentionality. A lot of the things I did to get here were very intentional. When a person is successful, people often times attribute it to luck. This sort of makes it sound like success just fell on them. I have learned that luck is when preparedness meets opportunity. If a person isn’t prepared when the opportunity arises, then for me, they are unlucky. Many people want the glory but are not willing to put in the work. I have learnt that if you meet a successful person, just know that’s a hard worker you’re looking at. To be intentional, I have over the years followed rigorous steps and still continue to do so. The first for me was finding inspirational and successful people doing what I do and being inspired and motivated by their story and vision along side how they executed to get to where they are and a common trait found in each individual included persistence, dedication, passion and consistency. These are very important to everyone’s journey because it’s not easy. Connect with them, build relationships – people are always willing to teach you if they know you have honest intentions. It is also important to study their trajectory, model yours alike but leave room for spontaneity.
Seek opportunities, volunteer for free if you have to – No one would know what you’re capable of doing until you put yourself out there. Beware of naysayers – if something is burning in your heart, it’s because you’re the only one that has the power to execute it in the best way. Set big goals and visualize yourself achieving them.
Speak about your goals to people who would listen —don’t stop talking about them. Work boldly towards your goals and above all, Trust God. These are the steps I took towards intentionality.
When did your big break happen and what was it? In 2018, Avant Gallery (A Gallery based in the Unites States of America with branches in Miami and New York) began the exclusive representation of my work. We launched with a series of exhibitions and fairs during Art Basel week and things became explosive from there. This collaboration opened my work to the international market and many new collectors.
What would you say were some noteworthy hurdles you had to scale through before you reached your breakthrough moment? Most of the challenges were in my mind. First of all, I had to determine my style; how I wanted to paint, how I wanted people to see my work and what I wanted people to feel when they encountered my work. What was even more drastic was my determination to stick to drawing as opposed to the traditional way of painting. It was a scary thing to do; I hadn’t seen anything like the pictures in my mind at the time. I just knew it was something I had to do. I also had to overcome the fear of size, I feel better when I draw bigger, and it’s a thing of satisfaction knowing that my audience can appreciate the authenticity of my strokes. I got through these hurdles and I made my peace with it.
Now, a touring exhibition - that’s huge, congratulations! How long has this been in the works, when did you begin curating the shows? Thank you so much. We had been planning this exhibition for over a year. We started before the pandemic hit and we had to sort of pause but I was still making and creating work.
Where you come from, a touring exhibition by an independent artist is not the norm. What inspired this move? When I first thought about the idea of a solo exhibition, I knew that the audience would be restricted if I exhibited only in one part of the country. Art is better appreciated in real life and I wanted to give my audience and my collectors in Nigeria the opportunity to experience my work in real time. At first, it was scary especially when you consider the logistics of moving those sizes of work but I just had to trust that everything would be fine. After the lock down, when things started to pick up, we began in full to plan the Abuja exhibition. The exhibition turned out to be a massive success; word quickly spread and everywhere was on fire. The opening day was filled with people who wanted to experience the work, see for themselves and I want to truly believe nobody was disappointed. This experience gave my team and I the courage to push for the Lagos exhibition. As they always say if you can think it, you can achieve it. We went for it. To be honest, it felt like a totally different exhibition. The experience was different and the audience was different. However, one thing both exhibitions had in common was great energy. You couldn’t miss that.
Speaking of stepping away from the usual, a lot of your work tend to feature diverse subjects who appear to be unorthodox in their own ways. Would you then say that each subject has a little “Jacqueline” in them? I like to think of myself as some sort of non-conformist. Someone who does not necessarily hold to traditional boundaries or restrictions, someone who is always questioning belief systems, someone who wouldn’t just take anything at face value but read between the lines. I guess in a way, one can say that my work has a lot of attributes from me and about me.
How do you choose your subjects? Is there a process? I am inspired by body language, subliminal human expressions and identity. I am always studying and investigating how these factors play a part in human communication and perception. I have found that the most honest of human expressions are when a person is in their vulnerable form. A lot of people move around guarded which I think is fair and understandable considering the world we live in. People are quick to judge and make example of others and they forget that they too have their own vulnerabilities and insecurities. I pick my models based on the honesty of their appearance. It could be their style, their hair, their expressions etc. For me, these are Ingredients that make for an interesting composition.
Your creations which stand 8ft tall are aptly described as “Larger than Life” - one could say that this is also a nod to your unconventional nature both as an artist and a woman. Would you say that your choice to go big with your masterpieces is a statement in itself? Yes. Definitely. Apart from the fact that I actually do love large-scale pieces, I wanted the viewer to be able to appreciate the individuality of the strokes and the meanings that they create. I also wanted to silence all the voices telling me that I couldn’t. Society will put a lot of limitations on you as a woman if you let it. The goal is to inspire people to be their most authentic self, not compete. Art is a language that has no gender.
Transcendence, Jacqueline Suowari 2021
Is your work appearing to you differently now that you see more people interacting with it in various diverse ways? No, if anything, I’m just happy that people can connect with the messages that I’m trying to spread with my work. I think the most satisfying part of it is hearing people actually make life-changing decisions because of my work after interacting with it.
You could have chosen an easier medium - why ballpoint pen? In this regard, I think I can say that the ballpoint pen chose me. It has just been the best tool to manifest my fascination with the human skin. Believe me, I tried other media; oil paint, charcoals, pastels etc. None of them gave me the results I wanted. The crispness of the strokes, the contrast, the way the figures come to life-it’s amazing.
Beyond the pen, you leverage a host of other media - please share other mediums you’re currently exploring for artistic expression? I originally trained as a painter in Art school, so I always want to incorporate color into my design. I have also recently begun to introduce fabric collage and relief sculpture to my paintings. These are mainly inspired by the recent themes I have been exploring; themes relating strongly to my culture and heritage as a Nigerian woman.
Do you think you will ever consider making a full switch from your primary medium (ballpoint pen) to another one of the mediums you’re exploring? Honestly, I don’t know. I know that my work is constantly evolving. I love to draw, so maybe that’s a pointer.
You focus a lot on humans and identity. What is it about identity that inspires you? I am inspired by the unique expressions of identity. The little things that set an individual apart and speak to their non-conformity or the lack of it. I think you can tell a lot about a person from the way they choose to appear. As a Nigerian, I come from a history of rich cultural representations of identity. There are several ethnic groups with different identities. It’s right in my face every day, how could I not be curious? I also like to observe how a person’s choice of appearance plays a role in how they are treated or received. Subliminal reactions form the baselines for communication and I am constantly intrigued by my findings.
Your latest body of work “Now I Wear Myself” provokes the examination and challenges the revealing of one’s true self. Why is the concept of being true to self so important to you? I believe we all have a part to play in the scale of things. One person’s true self-realization, like a ripple effect, inspires another person. I like to think of humanity like a giant picture puzzle. Each piece of the puzzle is nicely shaped and fits perfectly where it belongs.
When a person is being their true self, they come into super powers they never knew existed. Most people are scared of being; no one wants the judgment or seclusion that might come with being authentic. But true solutions come from being at peace with who you are.
How do you come up with the titles for each piece of art? Do you have a process? I begin a body of work with a theme, after extensive research, I make a mood board of the important factors that ground the theme or should I say that bring it to life. Then I source references, models and take photographs. When I am satisfied, I begin to draw. Because I’m already working with a theme, the titles of each piece are not far of. I can get the title for a piece while I’m working on it or after I have finished.
Her eyes do all the talking, Jacqueline Suowari 2021
“Now I Wear Myself” also addresses taboo topics such as mental health. What do you want anyone who comes across your work to feel in that regard? One of the results of embracing oneself is realizing that we are not perfect and that the idea of perfection is only a bubble. When you have accepted this, it’s easier to forgive yourself and others when things fall short of your expectations. I live in a society where people barely speak about mental health. Some people think of it as a weakness, for others, it’s an excuse for weakness. This causes people to bottle up emotions and pretend to be okay, until they can no longer hold it together. In Nigeria, suicide is on the increase because of this.
I want to encourage people to be bold enough to speak about these issues because everyone has been a victim at some point in their lives – it doesn’t mean you’re broken. Lastly, I want people to be more empathetic and supportive towards people who are battling one form of mental illness or the other.
Do you have a favorite painting from this collection and why? My favorite painting from this body of work is a piece titled ‘How to scream so no one can hear you’. It’s a story about a young, beautiful and energetic woman. Her name is Sade (Sha-de). Sade is battling with her mental health and well-being. On some days, it’s a struggle to get out of bed. People say hello to Sade and ask how she’s doing, give her compliments and all but they’re not really looking because if they really look at Sade, they’ll see that her eyes are sad and she probably hasn’t slept in days. Ironically Sade and her audience represent all of us. We switch back and forth within these roles on different occasions. On some days, we are desperately seeking help but masking it under clean appearances and on others, we ignore people and refuse to see them beyond face value. When was the last time you asked a person “how are you” and meant it? Were you patient enough to hear the answer?
As a creator, developing and putting things out to the world can be mentally tumultuous - did you personally have to scale through any mental health struggles while birthing “Now I Wear Myself”? Yes! I was creating work in the heat of the pandemic amidst many uncertainties. There were many questions no one had answers to. As an artist, you feel things differently. This can be a blessing and a curse.
What are some of the struggles and challenges you have faced as an artist on your journey and how do you work through them to keep going? Earlier in my career, the predominant challenge was deciding to stick with the ballpoint pen as a major medium in my art. Then as time went by, I had to figure out how to access the right materials and ultimately, how to develop a style. At every point in time, the key strength that kept me going was listening to my intuition and silencing the many voices within and outside
As far as the ongoing exhibition tour, you’ve conquered Abuja & Lagos (Lagos being the most recent and currently ongoing). What has the experience been so far and how has your work been received? The exhibition tour has been met with so much positive energy and feedback that feel awesome! Every now and then, I get a message from young people across the country and in some parts of Africa, telling me how much I have inspired them; to be better people, to take certain decisions about career, to speak and stand up for their dreams etc. I always say that the duty of the artist is to question norms and proffer solutions. An artist is a Priest and a Doctor so; this feedback has been very fulfilling for me.
What’s next for the Queen of Ballpoint pen? I’m currently working on a new body of work for my exhibition tour next year. The tour will hold in London and New York and I am very excited at the prospects the show already has. Creating a new body of work is always a critical moment because it determines in a way, the trajectory for the next few years. This is all so very exciting for me.
What advice would you give artists that have been on this journey and feel like giving up due to lack of recognition and the challenges that come with just being an artist or a creative? Keep your dreams in front of you always, go where your work is celebrated, Set goals and work towards them. Create a vision board. See yourself living the life you want with your career. Seek opportunities and find a mentor. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Develop yourself, your style and your craft and above all trust God, trust the process and don’t give up.
What are some of your favourite quotes that have helped you through on this journey? Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mk 11:24 and hard work beats Talent when talent doesn’t work hard.
