Balancing two contrasting societies, Valerie Etitinwo found herself in a challenging position, but her art and self-exploration paved a unique path of self-expression. Through her artworks, she skillfully deconstructs Nigerian stereotypes, offering a fresh perspective. While at home, she was enveloped in the vibrant tapestry of Nigerian culture celebrated through food and music. Raised in this dichotomy of cultures, Etitinwo turned to art as a means to interpret the world around her. As a Nigerian-Swiss artist, Valerie Etitinwo specializes in crafting abstract figurative paintings that celebrate the beauty within ugliness and the grace within awkwardness.
Etitinwo’s artworks transcend each of her
surrounding cultures to create work that is universally relatable through the
celebration of imperfections. She creates her work with the conviction to push
her creativity and expression to a level of intriguing “ugliness.” With each artwork, she fights the
temptation of “cuteness” to go beyond what is expected.
“I like
creating art that catches the eyes not because of how pretty it is but because
of how imperfect it looks. I’m really not a perfectionist. I’m quite the
opposite. I’m an “imperfectionist.” I like how disorganized some of my pieces
are. I like using bold colors and awkward shapes to represent humans. I would
say my favorite artistic movement is cubism. But my artwork is definitely not
cubism. I just have an appreciation for its absurd shapes, especially in
portraits. I like painting faces like masks. “
As a very
introverted person, Etitinwo likes observing people more than actually talking
to them. Because she has been around Nigerian “aunties” her entire life, they
instantly became the subjects of her artwork. Etitinwo’s work revolves around
their actions and mannerisms as she didn’t quite understand them growing up. She
aims to create artworks that deconstruct Nigerian culture and stereotypes. “I’m
old enough to understand [stereotypes] but also young enough to question them.”
