A brief "Q&A" session with Fatola Israel: the winner of the Artbeat Challenge 2.0

Fatola Israel takes a pose with the 1st Prize Winning Artwork


Who is Fatola Israel ? 

I am a highly passionate Visual Artist, a graduate of Visual Arts at the Creative Arts Department, University of Lagos. I am also the exponent of HeavenlyArtz™️ - an Image Art Consult set to illustrate human experiences through Art,  with a greater honesty of Realism.

Several of my artworks have been awarded and has featured in numerous group shows all across Nigeria.  Some of which are;

1.) Idealism and Fantasy, Thought Pyramid Art center, Abuja.  Sept. 2016
2.) Riches Within, Enugu.  Oct. 2016
3.) Eko Art Expo "Lagos For All", Lagos. Feb.  2017
4.) Afropolitan Vibes Music and Art Festival. Lagos. Dec. 2016.

My intention of practicing art is to communicate my thoughts and ideas, varying the struggles of man as a part of the society. These varying struggles are the percolative tools that has gingered me to produce artworks that serves as an abode for emotional stress and food for the mind.

With this practice of Art, I aim to provoke actions that will lead to a shift in the nature of ongoing conversations to very more practical actions that would ignite creativity and hereby solve more problems in the world today.



How did you hear about the ArtBeat Challenge? 

Well,  just like every other day. I was scrolling through my Instagram feed while I stumbled upon this post of the Artbeat Challenge with a very catchy price tag for the winning artwork. What actually caught my attention at first was the #200,000 LOL.

I immediately shared the news with some of my close friends and we got really interested in it.

"Israel, you might just win this contest!!" So I thought in my head. And YES. That's exactly what happened.

All Thanks to God for that.



How long did it take you to create this work? 

To be very honest, the winning artwork for this year's contest "Life On Land" 🌽🍀🌾🌿  started out as an idea I nurtured late last year. The motive was basically to address some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)  as stated by the United Nations. So I just picked up a theme, and deliberated with my friend Obayomi Anthony (He photographed the reference of which I drew from) on how we can best interpret it, without clustering the subject matter with so much noise. The muse is my very close friend as well (Ayorinde Oladimeji "Tudii"). This was back in 2016.

So yeah. I started the drawing last year.  Interestingly, as we got into 2017, I started getting a lot of works to juggle simultaneously from school, and corporate clients, both home and abroad. The pressure was really intense.

This made me suspend the drawing along with other personal ones. Several times. I'll resume working on it, and after some days, I will dump it again.

I finally finished up the piece 7 months after I started (November 2016- June 2017). I took me over 122 hours in total.

As destiny would have it,  I learnt about the Farabale Artbeat Challenge 2.0, and it seemed to me as the perfect time to just put up the work.




Describe the feeling of winning the second edition of Farabale ArtBeat Contest and a cash prize of N200k?

Ahahah....  It's so so overwhelming. I mean, It's not so easy to emerge top in such a large Art Contest where you have hundreds, if not thousands of entries from all across the Country.
I'm sure the judges must have had a tough time coming up with the Top 30 finalists as well.
Emerging the winner for the second edition of the contest has apparently recalibrated my morale and has set me up on a whole new frequency to achieving and producing even more.  I feel really motivated and inspired.

"If I can Win this,  then I can definitely achieve more"

And YES, the #200,000 is something you know!!! Last year's edition had a #100,000 tag.  I just feel blessed because now,  I'm getting double of that 😁😁 what more can I say?

Big ups to Farabale.
Congrats to the top finalists. And big ups to everyone one that participated.



CLOSING REMARK

 I hope a lot of young artists find motivation and are spurred to create content filled artworks, driven with motivation and backed up with a high proficiency in skilful execution and good delivery.

Bless. XX


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