Why I trained as lawyer, but chose to be an artist –Amadi-Obi
Kelechi Amadi-Obi is a born artist. He has risen to great heights in the art industry through determination, burning desire, passion and the I-can-do-it spirit.
Over the years, he had followed his instincts and conviction to the point of quitting his law profession. Todays, Amadi-Obi, who was once pitied because he abandoned his law profession, is now one of the most sought-after Nigerian’s celebrity photographers.
The voice he has added into the artistry profession through his painting, exhibitions, photography and cinematography as means of expression has helped put Nigeria photography on the world map.
In this interview with Sunday Sun, he spoke on his passionate for arts and success story.
How did the world of Arts swallow a juicy sought-after profession like law for you?
Well, I consider myself a story teller. I was obsessed with visual arts and it has moved from painting to photography. These days, I dabble into cinematography also, someone calls me a story teller that uses photography, cinematography and arts as means of expression; but largely in pursuit of excellence and our bigger goal is to transform the image of the African Continent from a story of the dark, suffering, corrupt, violent, primitive continent to the truth of the land full of gold, extra-ordinary human beings with unlimited rich culture and unbelievable resources which I consider the truth. All these will counter the brain wash of those who have come to convince people that they are nothing which I think is a fallacy. So, to me, in search of truth which is right in front of us, and ground the voices of sorrow, and bring hope to our people. The dream of today has become the reality of tomorrow. As people seem to be banished to a life of cynicism, constant state of complaining about their situation, instead of opening their eyes to see the gold and treasures that lie within, once the reach into it, they conquer.
What is your growing up like?
I am from Emekuku, Owerri North, Imo State, born to the late Justice Sylvester and Mrs Theresa Amadi-Obi. My late father was a jurist and my mother was an educationist. I grew up in Umuahia, where I was obsessed with arts at a tender age, even without the presence of practicing professional artists. There was no arts school, no museum, no gallery, but there was a library next to our house. I attended Library Avenue Primary School which was named after the library; it provided me with all the fantasies about arts. I read about the great renaissance artists, the post-modern and the abstracts.
Was there a role model for you on this at a tender age?
There was no role model initially, arts was something I developed interest in primary school; I love drawings. I found out that it was my super power, it was a place where I have undue advantage. I had love for arts and practiced it profusely and that repetitive pursuit of my passion made it natural for me to excel more than the other children; and I realized it was something I had that was a little extra compared to other children and it made me special; and naturally I just kept at it till date.
You did not follow arts immediately, you veered off to study law?
Yes, there were also my friends in primary and secondary schools, who were also very obsessed with playing football, but did not go to study football. So, I didn’t see it as a profession, but something I liked doing. So, by the time it was JAMB time, I chose to study Law which I gained admission and studied. It was when I got into the university of Nigeria (Enugu Campus) that I realized arts is where I would find my path, life and future. Then, in Enugu town which was more cosmopolitan, there was the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), it was also the home of some great artists (the group of artists called AKA group of artists) which was a powerful movement. There were also some great lecturers in Nsukka, some in Enugu, there was the British Council where exhibitions are held and the Bona Gallery. I attended my first arts exhibition at Bona gallery even as a law student; it was AKA exhibition where the likes of Nsikak Essien, Tayo Adenike, Ekwenchi, Chika Okeke, Chika Aniakor etc; these were the giants in contemporary Nigerian Arts as they were the colossus at the time. They greatly influenced me in understanding that such a life existed. They were people who were making a living out of this thing that I was obsessed about.
At what point did you take the final decision for arts?
It was in my year three as a law student that I decided I was going to be a full-time artist and make a living out of it. I was still attending Law lectures because I was going to finish my law course, attend the law school, write my Bar examination, so I will not become a university drop-out. Though while in school, I started to practice my arts full time, while studying Law part-time. After my law classes, I practice my arts, and during examinations, I read and made sure I do not fail any course. So, I became famous in school with the business name ‘The Zulu’. I started creating posters, portraits, design valentine cards; it was then that I realized the commercial power of visual arts. So, I was convinced that I will not be one of those poor artists and also realized the power of building a brand. I could see that I could separate myself from the crowd. When I graduated in 1992, I came to Lagos for the Nigerian Law School and graduated in 1993. So, from then on I stayed back in Lagos.
Where was your jurist father in all of these?
While all these were going on, I had not told my father I was going to be an artist.
Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to have that conversation with my father because he passed away in 1993. So, being through Law School and has become a lawyer, I decided to start my career as a full-time artist in Lagos.
Was your father going to approve of it assuming you had that discussion with him?
Absolutely not. I kept it away from him because I did not want to traumatize the old man. I didn’t want him to have heart attack, but needed to break the news to him softly because parents would always make decisions based on what they know. They make these decisions out of love for their children and for me to study law was an idea based on my father’s knowledge, he wanted a stable sustainable profession. For them artist in those days were neither here nor there. But I understood the strength that laid within, the passion, focus and faith in my abilities in what I was doing. So, I knew what I was doing. When I came out of Law School, I stayed with my aunt, Aunty Nnenna at Randle Avenue, Surulere and took over her balcony as my first studio and started to make painting. My first exhibition was in her sitting room, I called the press and it was a success. From that exhibition, someone decided to sponsor my first proper exhibition at the Russian Cultural Centre before they broke up to USSR in 1997. That exhibition was called ‘Man and Nature.’ It was also a commercial success where I sold a lot of works. From then on, the fear that this boy has abandoned the law certificate to follow a life of arts blindly, that doubt was wiped away; from then on, my career as an artist stabilized and I moved out of my aunt’s place into my own space and eventually bought the house when it came up for sell. There I started practicing as a full-time artist, then photography came in gradually because I used to use photographs as references for my painting. I was painting a lot of human form figures, I used to photograph the models, then use them for my paintings. I realized that the more I understood the technicalities of photography and studio lights and how to capture them, the better the images, my paintings; but eventually, I gathered a collection of images and people then bought them even photographs as well. Before I knew it, in 2001, I was invited to Bamako, Mali, for an international photography exhibition, which was a festival of arts and photography around the world. There, we, Uche James Iroha, TY Bello, Amaize Ojeikere and myself bonded and formed a group called Depth of Field (DOF) and the goal was to encourage ourselves to continue to express ourselves in that medium, having seen ourselves in what we are creating, finding ourselves among our peers around the globe; it pushed me more into photography. While this was happening, I was making my money as an artist, eventually and gradually, clients started coming and people wanted to commission me, advertisers wanted to work with me, so that was how my photography gradually became more time consuming than my paintings and it also started paying the bills and that was how I made the transmission from painting to photography and established Kelechi Amadi- Obi studios.
How has the journey been?
The journey has been beautiful since that time, the knowledge I acquired through my lifetime as a visual artist became extremely valuable in transforming and differentiating my photography, in which case, I understood the basics and tenets, vagaries and crafts of visual arts as a painter and all those rules and laws of design also apply to photography. I would say, I have undue advantage because I would say, I developed the eye for an artist.
In all of these, did law studies and practice go down in your life and memory?
No, Law has always been there in the shadows propecting, guiding, embolden and keeping me in a certain place. I say to myself, “I must not be one of the photographers, but ‘The Photographer.’ This means my name must stand out, you must make an extra-ordinary work and I began to find the meaning of extra- ordinary till date.
Has there been challenges in being an artist?
So, will there always be challenges in being an artist. My foray into the world of arts was like a man in the tick jungle trying to find the path with just a matchet in his hand. Society has not a very strong opinion of the artist considered rebels, our society is yet to internalize the power and the essence of arts of where it truly belongs in the society; so it’s always challenging to convince people that you know what you are doing; so there has always been an intellectual property infringement that will come up, here and there. And those are the things I found myself lucky to have studied in law and understanding intellectual property.
Did you ever find yourself in a situation of castigation, where a son of a high court judge has been reduced to become an artist?
Oh yes! But at the beginning of my journey, especially when I came out of law school, I knew for sure that I was the only one, who knew I would succeed. People who loved me looked at me with pity; there were those who looked at me and said ‘one less lawyer.’ But it was interesting. It is one of those professions, where you must prove yourself. If one says, I am a photographer and artist, people would want to know what you have created. You need to fight and earn that name. At the beginning it was very daunting, no one will believe you will make it, but surely with one foot in front of the other, you will gradually get to your destination.
What did your mother say in all of these?
My mum was quite worried in the beginning just like most mothers would do. She was in the village then while I was in Lagos. When she heard that Kelechi is in Aunty Nnenna’s balcony, saying he wants to be an artist, that was quite worrysome for her. Between my mother and my uncle who was a Medical doctor, he came from the East to talk to me: “Kelechi, we are not saying you should stop your arts, why not join a law firm on the side, you will not lose anything.” I said to him, ‘I know you are echoing the concerns of my mum, I understand her dilemma and her fear, but you have to understand something that I do not have a plan B, it is either Arts or nothing else, there is no half way. So, go back and tell my mum that if she hears Kelechi has joined a law firm and started practicing law, she should start to cry that her son has failed and that was the end of the discussion.’ My mum didn’t know her son is far gone with arts, therefore, do not get on his way, he is a man on the path! Instead, just have patience and wait for him to arrive.
So, what is her song today?
May God continue to rest her soul. She departed this world three years ago; but before she passed, she introduced me this way… ‘That is my son, the artist.’ Eventually, we became successful and the evidence was there. But all that was love.
What advice would you give to upcoming artists? Most young people are struggling between going to school to please their parents or go into their choice straight?
What the university does is to create coalition of peers, learn how to interact, sell yourself, build a community. If they could study courses that would be useful to them when they come out, it unites. Anybody who studied law cannot go wrong anyway. Law is just a rule of engagement, they are specializations. Intellectual property is a powerful thing for me, when it is accumulated, one has something to leave for the children. If someone is trying to mess up with someone’s IP, you know what to tell the person.
Why do you wear weird hair style?
Well, as an artist really, one becomes an opinion leader, why? It is an artist’s expression. For one to express, one must have an opinion, for one to have an opinion, there must be knowledge, that is slightly beyond the mundane. Society and culture normally knock into conformity, but one must look at it and question it, and find ways to better it, and in trying to better it, one must find ways to rebel against it, and in that rebellion, one’s eyes must be open in its flowers and to have a certain hairstyle is conformity and to have another is a rebellion. And sometimes, an artist’s appearance becomes the outward expression of what is within. At first, I said, there is no time for going to the barber for daily grooming, so I just left it, it grew into dada, I nipped it at the top, after a while I left it to grow, and someone says let us plait it and we did and its an expression of freedom. We do not conform to societal norms rather find way to challenge and make it better and in one’s outward appearance, you stand out, so people can ask who is he? Oh! he is an artist; that explains it.
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