Studio Visit | Faustin Adeniran
Studio Visit | Faustin Adeniran
By Natalia Herrans
Walking into Faustin Adeniran’s studio, there was a strong smell of spray paint and tar. Sitting on what seemed to be a sofa in front of a spinning table while working on an “experimental piece” was Adeniran, who invited me to take a closer look at what he was working on. He was using a black oil stick to create what seemed to be African tribal symbols on this gradient orange background on paper that he had made using spray paints soon before I arrived. He said, “This needs a little bit more… a crown,” painting a crown on top of the symbols using the black oil stick as he talked. He asked, “What do you think?” and I nodded in approval, complimenting him on such interesting work. Pointing at a piece on the ground, Adeniran told me that he was experimenting with tar as well. The soft gradations of bright orange referenced Mark Rothko while the drips and pours of tar pointed to Jackson Pollock’s iconic technique.
Adeniran invited me to sit and look around his studio, where an abundance of artworks covered the walls, floors — everywhere. There were many large-scale assemblage works drawings and paintings that appeared resourceful in nature. The experience was overwhelming, in a good way.
Adeniran’s Studio at Erector Square. November 2020. Credit: N. Herrans.
Adeniran and I have had brief conversations over email and the phone in the past, and he has always struck me as a kind, simple man with complex and interesting ideas. “Growing up, I loved art, and my love for art has always been omnipotent,” he said. Adeniran recalled when he was five years old, he had already started drawing all over the walls of his childhood home, and by the age of ten, he knew he wanted to be an artist. These early works were made from recyclable materials: cans, paper, rags and even scrap metals. “The [art] materials were expensive,” explained Adeniran. “In order for me to afford to make art, I started looking for other means to create art.” I believe many artists share this concern, especially at the beginning of their careers.
As an aspiring artist, Adeniran favored cheap or free materials such as sand. “In Nigeria, there was a lot of sand, colorful sand,” he remarked. He explained his process using this sand, pouring it bit by bit to create portraits and other beautiful imagery. “People thought I was doing voodoo, or that it was a machine because my work was so fine that people thought I was using some sort of incantation or spiritual voodoo to create my works.” In fact, many galleries did not want to display Adeniran’s work. They thought the work was not made by him, given how beautifully crafted it was.
Yet many of his assemblage pieces are made of recyclable materials that would otherwise be considered trash. His first series, Society Series, was produced using cans. “I used cans to reflect on American society and my journey throughout the United States,” Adeniran said. The can work were all very colorful, vibrant, and shiny. To Adeniran, a can of soda shares many similarities with American culture: “The can of soda is personal, and the American culture is very self-centered.” He continued, “Something that unifies us as a society, is that we throw away the same trash.” His thought process in this body of work is to unify us as a society, regardless of race, social status, or gender. “It gives you an idea of how unity is beautiful, how diversity is beautiful.”
Adeniran's awareness of global issues such as environmental justice informs the materials he uses. His Discarded series tackles the issue of environmental justice while honoring the lives of those who have passed away due to recent events in our society. Some of the works include a series of portraits made out of cans reflecting the lives of Black Americans. Adeniran aims to make works that motivate people to think beyond themselves and inspire positive change. He stated, “The journey of my works, of the materials that I use has always been about what can I use that would best reflect the community that I reside in and how can I make my work create a conversation that would lead to a change.”
Adeniran’s Studio at Erector Square. November 2020. Credit: N. Herrans.
Another series by Adeniran called Transformation series explores the Western influence on the African continent. “My Transformation series is basically about history, having to study history and understanding history.” Having studied European languages, Adeniran noticed that the Western way is often seen as better or correct among Africans. “In Africa, we tend to think that things that were produced in Europe or the Western world like America are better than what we can produce.” As a result, people in Africa long for things that Westerners have instead of appreciating what they do have and what they can create.
Adeniran is very proud of his African heritage, and his pride bleeds into his work. Pointing to a piece on the wall, I notice what appeared to be a wooden frame at first glance as Adeniran explained the meaning behind this piece. During the time of segregation in America, the discriminatory practice of denying services to Black Americans was known as redlining, the title for this work. “It started when Europeans invaded Africa without having any African representative,” Adeniran explained. “That is where redlining started.”
Adeniran’s Studio at Erector Square. November 2020. Credit: N. Herrans.
Towards the end of my visit, our conversation returned to the tribal piece on the orange gradient background. “What do you see?” he asked. I was unsure of what to say. He offered, “There are different ways of seeing it. When I see this, I see an African queen.” We agreed on titling it Becoming. Kind and down to earth, Adeniran has a body of fascinating work that hopes for a better society.
Natalia Herrans
Natalia Herrans is an artist and a student. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Herrans graduated high school early at the age of 16 with honors, a major accomplishment. In 2018, Herrans and her family moved to New Haven, Connecticut, where she currently resides. Herrans has been making art for as long as she can remember. Coming from a family of artists, Herrans remembers watching The Joy of Painting starring Bob Ross with her grandparents, surrounded by her grandfather's art hanging on the living room walls. Herrans is pursuing her passion as a fine arts major at the University of New Haven.
