In the beginning… I was born and raised in Eastern Nigeria. Life as a child was full of ups and downs as the political instability in Nigeria at the time left my parents without jobs for months at a time. To escape from the turmoil surrounding the country at the time, my father would take me on nature trips and explain the beauty and tranquility of our natural surrounding.
Family… I am the oldest of 6 siblings. I have 3 sisters and 2 brothers back home in Nigeria. Coming to America was a tough decision for me because I knew I would have to make the decision to leave my family and come to a place where I would be alone. My career as an artist meant the world to me and I was willing to do what it took to accomplish my dreams. According to African traditions, the eldest child is supposed to take care of the rest of the family as long as they need to be taken care of.Even though I am in America, I still take this tradition very seriously and assist my family with whatever they may need. I am extremely close to my family and try to not let the distance be a hindrance to our relationship. I get really emotional when I speak to my parents because they never cease to let me know how proud they are of me. Though they are many miles away, they keep me grounded because they remind me of where I came from and how luck I am to be living my dreams. Best childhood memory… The best memories of me as a child would have to be moments I spent fishing with my dad, tendering to our large farm house, and swimming at the local pond.
Favorite comfort food… I am addicted to Bananas. When I have guests come over, they usually get their Potassium serving before leaving. I have loved Bananas since I was very little and it reminds me of home. As funny as it may seem, when I get home sick, I often grab a Banana and everything seems to work out.
Biggest influence in my life… To date, my father has had the biggest influence in my life. The many times I felt discouraged about making a career from my art, he was always there to encourage me and remind me that I was born with a talent that couldn’t be hidden. He is also my biggest fan and critic at the same time, often teaching me new techniques to apply to my work. Source of inspiration… My source of inspiration comes from God. If people found a higher power, then life may be easier. Believing in something that’s greater than one’s self is quite humbling.
Weakness… A weakness that I have is my unattainable desire for perfection in all of my paintings. It’s very tough for me to know when to stop working on a painting because I pour my heart and soul into every work that I produce. I get so involved with each painting that it’s quite difficult for me to find an end point. When I get to the point where there is nothing I can possibly do to improve the painting, I finally call it quits. I want everyone that purchases my work to own a piece of me!
Strength… One of my greatest strengths is my strong sense of optimism and belief in myself.The many discouraging moments that I have faced in my past have pushed me to work harder and have contributed to my success. When I first arrived in the United States, it was really tough to establish myself as an artist so I struggled a lot. In the midst of my struggles, both financially and emotionally, I still managed to aggressively pursue my dream of making it as an artist in America. Many of my friends would discourage me and say that it was ridiculous to think that I could actually make it as an African artist. If I didn’t believe in myself, I would have given up on my art career a long time ago. My perseverance and my optimism is the very reason I am sitting here today.
Hobbies I love to travel, visiting new places and learning about the different cultural values of people. I believe that the only way to remain innovative in art is to keep up with what’s going on in the world, how things are changing and how people are feeling. I want my paintings to be relatable therefore, I strive to be relatable.
Favorite quote… My favorite quote is one that I made up, or at least I think I made it up. “Dream big. Think big. Act big.”
Greatest accomplishment… I have had many accomplishments but the one that I am most proud of is winning “The Best SOLO Artist Award” during the 2006 International ArtExpo New York. The award was completely unexpected but was well received. At that moment, I realized that my dreams of making it as an artist in America were coming true. Going to ArtExpo opened my eyes to the incredible talent that’s out there and it was a humbling honor to be recognized in the midst of that.
People don’t know that… I am an avid celebrity gossip lover. My girlfriend gets very upset with me because I know more about what’s going on with Paris Hilton than I know about her.
Life as an artist… I wake up every morning with a new idea and vision for my work. The excitement and anxiousness to interpret these new creative ideas on canvas pushes me out of bed in the morning. My favorite thing about being a professional artist is that I make a living out of doing my favorite hobby. Like the famous quote says, “do what you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I don’t want to sound cheesy but I don’t think words can capture and accurately describe my love and drive for painting. When I am away from my studio for long periods of time, I make use of anything and map out new ideas that come into my mind. Napkins are usually very resourceful to me during these periods.
Atlanta… I decided to settle down in Atlanta after visiting several times. Atlanta provided a great balance between the busy city life and the peaceful country life. I felt like I would be able to get the best of both worlds in Atlanta. Why Ibe… One of the biggest culture shocks that I experienced when I came to the United States was the realization that no one could pronounce my name. My full name is Onyeka Ibe so I decided to go with Ibe because it’s shorter, simpler, easier to pronounce, and faster to sign on my paintings.
Studio… I work in my home studio in Atlanta. Just like most people get dressed to go to work, I get up every morning and head to my studio for a full day of work.
Regular working day… There is no regular working day as no day is the same for me. There are days when I wake up, get my coffee and head straight into the studio and there are days where I don’t make it to the studio. When I am in the studio, I can get so wrapped up in a painting that I don’t even realize that its bed time.
Other passions… I am interested in furthering art education in schools here in America and in other parts of the world. If art wasn’t taught to me at an early age, it would have never crossed my mind that I could actually make a career out of it. Art is an important form of expression and it’s imperative that kids are able to express themselves in a positive way. I have visited a couple of schools around Atlanta to speak to the students about art and some of the techniques that I use. I love seeing how interested and fascinated the students get when they get to paint. I plan on visiting more schools around Georgia in the future.
Color… Color is the primary characteristic of my work. If I didn’t have color, I would have nothing. I apply thick layers of colors with the palette knife and watch the life come out of the painting.
Techniques and mediums… I primarily work with oil colors but have experimented with other mediums.First, I use my palette to generate the color harmonies I feel. I then use combinations of these colors on the canvas to create my mental interpretation.
