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    Hyperrealistic Portraits by Artist Arinze Stanley Reflect the Emotions of Black Experiences

    
    Art

    #activism
    #black and white
    #charcoal
    #graphite
    #hyperrealism
    #portraits

    September 19, 2020
    Grace Ebert

    “Mindless #3.” All images © Arinze Stanley, courtesy of Corey Helford Gallery, shared with permission
    Arinze Stanley describes his hyperrealistic drawings as “a simple language of my feelings.” In a statement about his new series titled Paranormal Portraits, the Nigerian artist (previously) says he uses his art as a form of political activism and as a way to amplify the voices of those who are unheard. Stanley noes that the relationships he fosters with his subjects are complicated and more often a reflection of himself:
    In my opinion, artists are custodians of time and reality, hence why I try to inform the future about the reality of today, and through these surreal portraits seen in my new body of work, Paranormal Portraits, navigate my viewers into what is almost a psychedelic and uncertain experience of being Black in the 21st Century.
    Using graphite and charcoal pencils, Stanley draws with such detail, capturing a stray hair or glimmer of beading sweat. Whether featuring a subject wrapped in hands or dripping in paint, the monochromatic portraits are intimate, expressive, and “born out of the zeal for perfection both in skill, expression, and devotion to create positive changes in the world. I draw inspiration from life experiences and basically everything that sparks a feeling of necessity,” Stanley says.
    If you’re in Los Angeles, Stanley’s work will be on view at Corey Helford Gallery starting October 3. Otherwise, head to Instagram and check out this video from Great Big Story capturing his deftly rendered artworks.

    “The Machine Man #7”
    Left: “People and Paper #1.” Right: “The Machine Man #6″
    “Paranormal Portrait #3”

    #activism
    #black and white
    #charcoal
    #graphite
    #hyperrealism
    #portraits

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    Powerful and Emotive, Artist Patrick Onyekwere’s Hyperrealistic Portraits Are Rendered Meticulously in Ballpoint Pen

    
    Art

    #drawing
    #hyperrealism
    #pen
    #photorealism
    #portraits

    July 16, 2020
    Grace Ebert

    All images © Patrick Onyekwere, shared with permission
    Patrick Onyekwere imbues his photorealistic portraits with layers of emotion. Before sketching with blue, ballpoint pen, the Nigerian artist invites his subjects into a conversation about their lives, contemporary culture, and nature to establish the mood or story he’s hoping to convey. Their responses produce a collaborative endeavor that organically merges their perspectives and histories, which the artist translates to his artworks.
    Onyekwere collects a few snapshots of his subject for reference as he meticulously shades and crosshatches every inch of his hyperrealistic pieces. The artist sees his powerful renderings as “speaking for those who can’t speak for themselves” and finds the subjects’ eyes most interesting. “They mirror some of our deepest desires, fears, inhibitions, perceptions, thoughts, most of which we ourselves are consciously unaware of,” he says. “(The eyes have) the power to convey emotions and feelings and also communicate and connect to the viewer, inviting them to live in an untold story, in such a way they don’t see an already existing piece but take part in the creation of it.”
    To see Onyekwere’s portraits-in-progress and follow more of his expressive works, follow him on Instagram and YouTube.

    #drawing
    #hyperrealism
    #pen
    #photorealism
    #portraits

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    Fringed Rugs Bulge and Fold in Illusory Paintings by Artist Antonio Santín

     All images © Antonio Santín, shared with permission Madrid-based artist Antonio Santín paints hyperrealistic depictions of ornate rugs that appear to billow and crease on the feet-long canvases. Complete with intricate motifs and fringed edging, the works feature thousands of textured dots, spirals, and complex arrangements made with oil paint that mimic the organic […] More