Joshua Michael Adokuru

The artist and Ross-Sutton Gallery

"Each portrait is an adventure, exploring the unique character and personal strengths of my sitters. A love of people and a deep interest in childhood memories is key to my works. Every colour I use is made to bring out every feature on the faces of my subjects, every string drawn from one point of the face to another is made to further define the part of their faces."

Joshua Michael Adokuru is a self-taught artist studying computer science at the National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja. He found his voice using his current medium – working with strings, nails and acrylic on board, which he uses to represent Black people.

"I try to show how beautiful and significant the Black melanin is so I use unusual mediums to make that happen. My environment and people around me inspired me to paint. I love to capture the facial expression of the people I paint [create] because facial expressions are a form of nonverbal communication. I try to convey how I saw the emotional state of the individuals I portray."