Leonardo Iheagwam Archives - Afromixx https://afromixx.com/tag/leonardo-iheagwam/ Conserving the Essence of African Music, Art & Culture Fri, 02 Aug 2024 11:26:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 https://afromixx.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/cropped-afromixx-favicon-1-32x32.png Leonardo Iheagwam Archives - Afromixx https://afromixx.com/tag/leonardo-iheagwam/ 32 32 Soldier: a reflective Nigerian artist making waves by revolutionizing art and culture https://afromixx.com/soldier-leonardo-iheagwam-a-reflective-nigerian-artist/ https://afromixx.com/soldier-leonardo-iheagwam-a-reflective-nigerian-artist/#respond Fri, 02 Aug 2024 11:03:56 +0000 https://afromixx.com/?p=2607 Soldier, born Leonardo Iheagwam, is a Nigerian-London-based artist and illustrator whose body of work typically examines issues such as war, the power of purpose, and family dynamics. He expresses his artistic vision through designs, paintings, sculptures, and other art forms. Soldier’s work constantly looks back at viewers with an introspective depth and a powerful but…

The post Soldier: a reflective Nigerian artist making waves by revolutionizing art and culture appeared first on Afromixx.

]]> Soldier, born Leonardo Iheagwam, is a Nigerian-London-based artist and illustrator whose body of work typically examines issues such as war, the power of purpose, and family dynamics.

A potrait of the artist’s mother. “Remember that I love you dear” Acrylics, gold leaf, etching and dry pigment. 40 x 30″

He expresses his artistic vision through designs, paintings, sculptures, and other art forms. Soldier’s work constantly looks back at viewers with an introspective depth and a powerful but clear narrative.

Soldier was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and after moving to London, his career waxed stronger as he immersed himself in the city’s vibrant creative scene. His ingenuity doesn’t stop at creating beautiful, thought-provoking pieces, but also in the exhibition of every collection. The artist’s debut performance piece, “Soldier London Tour,” was intended to challenge the customary confines of art display. And he did so by combining music and selecting preferred locations to display his collection throughout the city of London, as opposed to paintings hanging from white walls.

Aside from his innovative forms of art and style of expression, which distinguish him as an artist, there are subtleties that indicate that Soldier is not one to be bound by conventions.

“Passport” (a self-portrait), an acrylic and mixed-media piece on canvas, is a reflection on the limitations of borders and passports in a world that belongs to everybody.

Passport

It questions the idea of restricted movement and advocates for a world without geographical boundaries. This is one of many thought-provoking pieces that showcase Soldier’s critical perspective on the world.

His collection also includes the 2024 “Ejima (twins) sculpture, and the war paintings, in which he used over 5000 soldier toys (symbolizing the countless lives lost) to complete the set of four paintings.

Soldier and the Ejima Twins Sculpture

Both collections suggest that he is still very much in touch with the culture and history of his native Nigeria.

Your cross to bare(2024)
Your sins are forgiven (2024)
The river (2024)
Untitled (2022)

Soldier’s artistic image often spills into his creations; for example, the colours and patterns typical of military combat uniforms in the background of paintings, the collection of paintings using toy soldiers, and so on.

Soldier has an impressive portfolio, having collaborated with Nike, Louis Vuitton, Britain’s finest professional race car driver, Lewis Hamilton, and his clothing brand, Plus44World.

He’s also the hand behind the artwork for Nigerian rapper Odumodublvck’s fresh single “Not All That,” which reportedly sold on his website for £10,000 after being put on sale for less than 24 hours. The artwork is a macabre painting of the rapper wearing his signature Okpu Agu “warriors hat” and holding in one hand a severed head with blood dripping from the forehead, and a cutlass in another hand. 

Soldier strives to effect change in the world in every possible way, specifically through his art. As an avid skater, he has shown his support for waf, Nigeria’s first functioning skatepark, by selling limited skate decks and donating the proceeds to the building and completion of the skate park.

The post Soldier: a reflective Nigerian artist making waves by revolutionizing art and culture appeared first on Afromixx.

]]> https://afromixx.com/soldier-leonardo-iheagwam-a-reflective-nigerian-artist/feed/ 0