Redefining the African British Community's take on the art scene and the current modernized structure in relation to it, Gregory Ojakpe brings his outlandish support through the medium of fashion via his surreal knits.

Hi, How are you doing post covid? Please tell us how was life for you in lockdown and how did you manage to boost your creative nerves amidst all the havoc?

Covid was really fun and life-changing once I had overcome the initial fear and panic. I used the time during lockdown to recenter myself as I was having second thoughts about perusing a creative career. Having everything stop and not knowing what the future held allowed me to have time to sit down and think. One of the main questions I had asked myself was if after lockdown there was no money in the creative industry, would I still want to peruse a career in the arts? It was not until I watched one of Bliss Foster's videos in which he stated, I’m paraphrasing here a little “if fashion/design is your god-given gift and you see no other options as this is what you live and breathe, then you have to peruse it at all costs” that I had my answer. If I didn’t have the time to sit and ponder and ask myself that question during covid I don’t think I would have the conviction I have today that design is my calling.

How were the childhood and teenage years? Please take us through your memory lane of discovering arts and crafts and the very story of your first crafty project.

The most significant moment in my childhood that I would say was the beginning of my creative journey when I was 6/7. I remember having an art class in which my teacher began the class by showing us the artwork and making us guess what the subject in the artwork was. Each of my classmate’s answers was different as each person saw something different in the image. She later reviled that the artwork was created by an artist named Henri Matisse and the subject in the artwork was in fact a snail, she went on to explain that artworks like this were not figurative and incorporated the use of unconventional shapes, unorthodox colors, and non-distinguishable forms/subjects were called abstract art, and that Matisse created the artwork using collage. My mind was blown, I had never thought that art could be interpreted differently by different people and that could be the intention when creating artworks. Furthermore, the animal subject matter, the use of collage, and the bold use of bright colors ignited a spark in my brain, and from that moment I was obsessed with the concept of abstract art. I still have those abstract drawings/paintings I created when I was 6/7. Looking back, I would say those concepts and techniques like collage are a thought line that was continued to influence my creative practice to this day.

Gregory, your work is undeniably art to wear and you continue to serve the craftsmanship of knitting with an outlandish approach. Please tell me what pulls you to such concepts and what lures you to reach for the abnormal.

Relating back to the story I shared about my first encounter with Matisse’s “Snail” I’ve been obsessed from that moment with creating work that made you stop and think to yourself “what is that?” to me the abnormal and the irregular is what I find to be truly beautiful.

Please describe to us your beginning phase of designing the first garment… What was the overall process and how did your ideas come to reality?

I usually start with a technique that Is influenced by a sculptor or an artist I rarely pull from fashion initially. Once I have that technique learned I then manipulate it in my own way creating 3d responses either on a dress form, draping, or just free-standing structures/textiles. I then take images of these 3d responses and collage them with my fashion and artist research digitally or by hand, once I have created some collaged artworks, I then go back to working in the 3d responding directly to the collaged artwork I created trying to bring the artwork to life letting mistakes happen as I go thus allowing the idea to evolve into a place, I had never even imagined often even surprising myself.

You are now also a scholar at Lee’s Sarabande foundation. As much as you have crafted the designs.. Would you be able to describe to us the very process that created you in return as a designer/ artist?

I feel my designs have redesigned my outlook on different aspects of my life and as a person in general from being inspired by my use of color stemming from my Max Ernst research in my latest works to incorporating more color into my personal style to being inspired to take more risks in my personal life directly inspired by the trial and error needed to learn and develop new knitwear techniques. The most influential lesson is as someone who is dyslexic and ADHD I struggle with time management and organization so seeing a design idea through till the end without getting frustrated or distracted is something I struggle with but through my work being globally celebrated and having so many people share their admiration for my vision has forced me to tackle my neurodivergence head on as it's inspired me to push my creativity to bounds I thought were impossible due to my struggles with my neurodivergence. I'm still a work in progress but with every vision, I bring to life I feel as if I’m one step closer to realizing my full potential as I learn new skills and overcome failures.

Speaking of design and crafts.. You drew your inspirations from the finest places and people. Being a Black British and of multiple ethnicities I assume, you are also redefining the African British community. Please speak on the power of fashion and art upon the general society that you see yourself contributing to.

My art is about telling my story, in that I feel that people outside of my culture are able to see into it and learn about my culture and lived experience which I feel is key to building community and understanding of your fellow human beings.

Simultaneously my art is also about inspiring the next generation of black African artists to tell their story through the medium of art and to be not afraid to create work that is “weird” “unconventional” and “abstract” synthesizing all parts of their identity into artworks that are undeniably beautiful and compelling much like the African sculptural artworks of our ancestors which inspired influential western artist such as Picasso and Matisse just to name few. These western artists who have been canonized as the founding fathers of “modernism” and “abstract art” movements took direct inspiration and sometimes even copied the artistic stylings of African art in their work often without giving credit or even downplaying the influence of black art in their work. The art world has referred to the abstract works created by Africans as primitive and naive whilst putting western artists who directly take from black art on a pedestal. I hope with my work to inspire the next generation of African artists to rewrite this narrative and be at the forefront of the modern and abstract globally.

Fashion is both political and the business of art. If you had to launch a perfume now also.. how would you describe its essence and what would be the tagline?

The notes in the perfume would be cade oil Patchouli, musk, earthy /woodsy, and amber, I want it to be something that smells like a sexy campfire and the tagline would be “destruction and fire”

Gregory I’d like to get back to your past again if I may. Can you tell us what have been the most pivotal moments for you in terms of the way you view the industry and your creativity?

A pivotal moment for me is when I put out the green look, before then I never really posted my work as I didn’t think it was good enough and I thought it might be a little too weird and at some point, I would have to commercialize my aesthetic but after seeing how people reacted to my work it allowed me to silence the negative voices in my head whilst showing me that there was space for my weird ideas in the industry and that I could make money from making exactly what I want to make without watering it down.

Last but not least.. Tell us the films and music artists that did influence or inspire you, or maybe you tapped on while working on the latest designs.

As I mentioned before I’m very much for the idea of African artists being at forefront of modern art abstract, art and especially surrealism, is globally celebrated for their creative contributions, so artists such as nick crave, Wangechi Mutu and el Anatsui are a few artists who have been monumental in my development and will always be eternal inspirations to me.