‘Local slangs inform my art’

Diseye Tantua, a visual artist, based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, is widely known for his usage of satires,  slangs and jokes in his works.  In this interview with Edozie Udeze, he talks about the reasons for the satires and the lessons Covid-19 has taught him as he works in his studios

 

In the last few years your works have assumed deeper dimensions and orientation detailing most of the social ills plaguing the society.  What then informs the amusing but serious messages? 

In most of my works (drawings and paintings), you will find extracts from words found on headboards/ tailboards of transit vehicles , most of which are written in pidgin english and are parables, advices and experiences written as one-liners.

These classic one liners, speak to the city inhabitants carrying around their news from town to town and city to city.

In my bit to preserve these words as an artist, I take into consideration, the evolution of their fonts and the way these words have gone from being messages of missionaries spreading the biblical goodnews to the everyday street slang and vernacular.

Satires,slogans,some roadside symbols and sayings embellish your works. Why rec course to such? 

I grew up reading meanings to these classic one-liners and for me it was a unifying symbol of unity for countries and cities I grew up in. As children we played games of writing down those we came across on our way to school and decoded its parables.

I grew up stuck with that nostalgic feeling and love for these words which is why I preserve them the best way I know how; with my art.

Your love for discarded objects and metals always define your art. What is the satisfaction like? Have you got to your peak yet? 

Recycling/ Up-cycling has become a way of life for artists and I have constantly found new ways to create with some discarded materials in my art or design.

Some years ago I cut my fathers classic benz 200 and converted it into house hold furniture as against leaving it to rot in the garage.

The idea of repurposing birthed another creative side of me as I built a team I worked with to achieve style in luxury furniture making me the first artist building functional sculptures with the use of classic car parts in Nigeria.

I will not call it discarded objects and metals but unique styling and repurposing.

What are the experiments keeping you busy in the studio now? 

Due to the lockdown and social distancing we are facing because of the corona virus which has affected the world at large, I was forced to close the production part of my creativity which has to to with welding and painting functional sculptures as I had been working with a team of skilled artisans on those projects.

Now I spend most of my time in my painting studio at home, experimenting on new approach to same stories.

When the national lockdown is over,what will the art community expect from Diseye Tantua as his new works occasioned by the lockdown? 

During This lockdown, I spent time looking at works I did in the past, going back to my early years when I was doing more of experiments with mediums and materials.

I had spent most of that time making figurative paintings mostly with black and white oil paints.

I later reduced my use of oil paints following the health hazards.

Now with the lockdown, I have returned to visiting most of the topics, exploring them deeper and using my experience now to send out my messages.

It’s been exciting for me and l look forward to sharing them in my next show.

Do you think moments of seclusion whether voluntary of induced helps to incubate creativity? 

Definitely, It is nothing new. Artists go into a state of self seclusion to create, experiment and develop their ideas no matter their craft; poet, writer, musician, painter or sculptor.

When is your next solo exhibition whether in Port Harcourt or elsewhere?

At the moment I have not thought about my plan for an exhibition following the unstable issues of the covid19 virus the world is undergoing.

Art galleries have had to spend more time online strengthening their social media handles and creating virtual tours which I believe is the new normal.

Even companies have had to depend on zoom calls / phone calls as against physical meetings.

Education is also adapting zoom interactions as against the class room lifestyle for safety.

This shows that even after this virus passes human life will adopt a new lifestyle to keep the social distancing going.

That said, at some point before the year runs out or early next year (no specific date) I will be having my first virtual solo exhibition.