Welcome to the DC talent podium. This time, we bring to you a self taught character who is just as daring and highly energetic as his art pieces and whose persona is evoked in some of his paintings.As someone who does not like ''limitations'', Adjani draws his inspiration from a wide range of natural phenomena to express his freedom. When he is not splashing colours, he doubles as a model and we made no mistake to include him in our Top 50 talents to watch out for in 2011.
Happy Reading y’all!!
DC: Hi Adjani, how are you?
Adjani: I’m good, thank you!
DC: If you were a cartoon character, which would you be and why?
Adjani: How did you know I’m into cartoons?! Well I do like my cartoons and there are many characters that I’ve enjoyed watching over the years! But because I’m a 100% product of the wild, a child of the tropical rain forest, extremely adventurous, and come from a family that practices agriculture, and love animals, it’s got to be Tarzan! Leaving the “sex bit aside”, the setting and adventurous nature of it has always had an intriguing “octopussy” grip on me that’s rivalled by none!
DC: Oh wow! I am totally taken aback with your response above! Well done. So, what is your favourite colour? Why?
Adjani: Thank you! As an artist, colours do come naturally to me. However, my favourite colour would depend on the domain! For painting, it’s got to be white and for fashion, it’s definitely black! The versatility of these colours definitely ticks all the right boxes for me!
DC: How did the whole painting thing start? Tell us more!
Adjani: I can remember being interested in drawing and colouring with crayons at a very early age! I was always excited once I had completed a drawing, and would always place it on the walls and doors of the living room and my bedroom! But that was only when my dad was not around! He thought I was spending all my time drawing instead of studying, so obviously, he didn’t encourage it! I sent him some money for Christmas, and guess where it came from? From a painting that I sold! However, my mum always bought me drawing books which I kept a secret! I wish I could find some of them today!
Anyway, I continued drawing especially landscape and archaeological artefacts right through my university days. But I actually completed my first painting in “water colour” only in 2008 when my girlfriend saw my sketch book and thought they could make nice paintings! She bought me some water colours and as they say, the “rest is history”!
DC: Why painting? What was it about painting that suddenly gripped you so?
Adjani: Freedom, freedom, freedom! I like the freedom of doing just whatever I want to do and making my own rules as I go along without any distraction, opinions, or instructions! With a brush, a canvas and some paint, I attain that all the time! It’s also not just something I enjoy doing, it’s therapeutic, very much so!
DC: Let’s talk about your inspiration for your paintings. Where does this come from?
Adjani: Oh, that’s interesting! Talking about inspiration, that’s one of my favourite words! And guess what, I’m opportune to be endowed with varied sources from which I could tap that from! The environment, religion, and human behaviour provide me with an enormous source of boundless inspiration! In essence, it would take a lifetime to exploit a quarter of it! That said the most interesting thing is that I’m amazingly capable to turn negativity into positivity and thus an inspiration! I’m constantly being inspired by negative and stereotypical individuals! Anything could be an inspiration to me and nothing is a waste!
Someone once asked me, “how come you are such a good artist and you say you are from Kamer”.......I was like, what? I knew he had good intentions but I didn’t like his approach and body language, so I replied that some of the earliest art were found in the pyramids in Egypt. Hieroglyphics is art in its own right and the wearing of earrings by males, tattoo painting and body piercing were not western customs either. In fact, an average male Maasai from Kenya wear up to 10 bangles on each ear! They are semi-nomadic, most of them are illiterate, and have never watched TV! He left quietly, and I thought, good riddance! A week later, I did a contemporary portrait of a Maasai, and it was outstanding!
DC: What motivates you?
Adjani: Life! Just being here, healthy and with a lot of potential is amazingly motivational because I know many people who in many perspectives, are less fortunate than myself! In Jan 2000, I gave a young waitress a tip of 500Frs CFA in Bamenda, and the whole family started addressing me “Nih”! I was motivationally elated!
DC: Let’s discuss the themes that are recurrent in your painting? What are they and why these themes?
Adjani: As you can see, I paint in different styles with varied themes ranging from aesthetics, adventure, betrayal, healing, hope and the surreal! The reason I do all of these instead of concentrating on one style is based on “marketability”! Some are highly marketable than others, thus attracts a consistent flow of income with which I feed my main interest which I will be concentrating on in the near future! But, before you ask, what that is, I should warn you that I wouldn’t be letting the “cat out of the bag” just yet!
DC: Okay, so I’ll keep “schtum” on asking then. What is your goal in life?
Adjani: I’m so fortunate to have discovered why I exist! I’m not here just to “eat, drink, party and sleep”! I’m here to support, inspire and motivate as many people as possible, in any way that I can! Staying healthy, fit and financially viable would always remain top on my agenda and compliments the essence of my existence. That is seconded only by the urge to give my daughter a strong foundation and a good start in life. I like doing charitable work because it is a great forum from which I could make a difference, and the satisfaction derived from it is priceless! I would like to open a massive gallery in Yaoundé and Douala in the future and promote arts in Cameroon.
DC: What else are you passionate about?
Adjani: I’m passionate about football and I support Chelsea! Notwithstanding, table tennis, fitness, food, wine, design, music, dancing, poems, writing, fashion, travelling, adventure and pushing my daughter in her buggy are some of the things I do with passion! I’ve got an amazing family back home which I’m also so passionate about!
DC: To have had a showing at the Saatchi gallery is not an easy venture. How did this collaboration come about?
Adjani: Yes I presently exhibit in Saatchi online Gallery! I found the website online and registered after visiting the main gallery in Sloane Square. Then I sent some of my works to them for approval and that was done in less than an hour! Awesome!
DC: Awesome indeed. Where else in the world would you like to show?
Adjani: I have exhibited in Abingdon, and Battersea, London! I have been invited to exhibit in Magdalene House in Oxford Science Park, Oxford, and I have now got some connections in Geneva, Switzerland! However, I’ve got my eyes on New York, California, Paris and Rome! I would actually like to own my own gallery in California, one day, that’s highly probable! I’ve got “stateside on my mind”!
DC: Which famous person in the world would you like for him/her to own an Adjani Klinsmann painting? Why?
Adjani: uh......, that’s a tricky one! Let me see! Uh...., it’s got to be Angelina Jolie, yes definitely Angelina! She terrific!
DC: To conclude, what tips would you give to a budding painter?
Adjani: Patience, patience, more patience and persistence! Resilience in the face of adversity is paramount! These are indispensable for any sort of recognition! But to be successful, they have to look successful, talk successful and walk successful! However, swagger is one thing, the skills to match it is everything!
A display below of Adjani at work and some of his paintings
Adjani at work
Theologian's corner
Personality trait
Castigation of the redeemer
The son of man
Ego
Procreation
Urban sunset
Beautiful stingray
Overcoming adversity
The guardmans and his dog
Contact details
Website: under construction but you can find his works at Saatchi gallery onlineEmail: oklinsman@yahoo.com
Tel: 07931 887 389
Facebook page: Adjani Klinsmann
Twitter: adjanitrendz
Hope you enjoyed our interview. Don't forget to follow your dreams and come back again soon!
Stay sweet
Dulce
xxx
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