British-Nigerian artist Karl Ohiri uses photography, performance, archives and every-day objects to build on themes that deal with family, identity, cultural heritage and history. Through his frequent travels between the UK and Nigeria, Ohiri’s work became a process of discovery, documenting and questioning socio-political tensions and the contrasting realities between these locations — personal journeys to observe, build meaning and reflect on his migrant experience.
Q > Tell us about your most unconventional project (even if it did not materialise).
A > The My Granddad’s Car project takes that accolade. Trying to import two old retired cars from our grandfather’s villages in Nigeria and Pakistan to the UK definitely raised a few eyebrows at home and abroad. The project was filled with so many twists and turns that forced us to constantly question our reasoning and sanity along the way. It was the project that made our family and friends think that we had finally lost the plot. Upon reflection, I couldn’t agree more!
Q > How does where you live affect your work?
A > Massively, I live in a sleepy town on the borders of London. It’s a double-edged sword in the sense that the area allows me to have more space to think with less distractions but is incredibly uninspiring. I would prefer to live in a part of London that gets my creative juices flowing with like-minded individuals around me. However, these locations come at a premium in London and usually with a compromise of space or disposable income.
Q > Tell us about moments in your life that helped define or change your identity.
A > When my mother died in 2012 it had a massive influence on my work, life and identity. I decided to dedicate a body of work in her honour entitled Sweet Mother, which became a way of finding closure and coming to terms with her death. The process shaped me into the person I am today.
The second is when I became a father. The arrival of my daughter changed me as a person immensely. I could no longer be the wandering artist with an abundance of time for unpaid artistic work and had to start prioritising what I value most in life by finding a healthy balance between the desire to make art and life’s responsibilities.
Q > From disruptive poetry, to rejection of norms — what influences your work and how do you shape your way of life?
A > I take influence mainly from the everyday, that’s how my brain works. I respond artistically to things that occur around me that force me to reflect. This could be a conversation on the bus or an old photograph I encounter. This approach shapes my way of life a great deal as it means I am free to just be myself and take comfort in the everyday. I never have to force projects or ideas, and rarely have creative droughts as I can take inspiration from general life and turn it into ‘art’.
Q > Which things would you like to include more in your life / and less of?
A > I would love to include more singing and dancing in my life, I may be crap at both but I believe the two are good for the soul. I also like the idea of spending more time with family; they are spread between Nigeria, Germany and Finland so I only get to see them about once a year. As for things I would like to have less of in life, there are just too many to list so I will focus on the positives.
Q > Surprising contradictions — tell us about things that conflict you and inspire you at the same time.
A > I think the notion of the black experience is something that inspires me a great deal as it’s a personal experience I can take inspiration from. However, the same blackness that gives me strength and artistic opportunities can also be exploited as a system of control.
At times you can feel trapped as you try to navigate as a black body in a white world where systems of power have been established for you only to succeed on the terms of those in power. This is highly frustrating as you can rarely be just an artist; you have to be a “black artist”, which usually means fitting into an agenda.
Q > Building connections with ‘places’ through presence and absence: past and present — tell us about your journeys and which places have triggered memorable emotions.
A > My most memorable place is Nigeria. It’s a place I have been visiting since I was a child and features frequently in my work. It’s a huge part of my identity and a country I have so many memories from in my life; from playing football as a young child in my village, to burying my mother as an adult on the same land, it’s an emotional place for me that is always in my heart and mind.
Q > Challenging conversations, introspective moments, inspirational triggers, political views, social shifts which topics do you find yourself debating these days?
A > Lately I have found myself debating on how institutions and organisations can help artists’ financially so they can have a sustainable practice. Institutions will often show and publish your work for free with the belief that artists are happy to be paid in artist promotion coupons which last time I checked cannot be used to pay bills. This rising anger amongst most artists is paving a way towards a new culture that respects the artist’s work, labour and sacrifice. The current system can go on for an eternity, as artists will always want to make art and show it to an audience. However, just because it can go on like this does not mean it has to! This is a conversation I am having with my peers regularly, so it will be interesting to see how this develops over time.
Karl Ohiri (b.1983) British-Nigerian conceptual artist living and working in London. His practice explores the Human Condition and focuses on two inseparable strands of existence. His work has been exhibited in the UK, Nigeria, South Africa and elsewhere and is contained within collections such as the Arts Council England Collection and the Wellcome Collection.
