Painting Outside the Lines: Mr Waduud’s Quest for Social Change

With a brushstroke of defiance and a palette of passion, Nigerian visual artist Abdulwadud Afolabi (Mr Waduud) weaves tales of societal ills, mental health, and the human condition. To understand the mind of this visionary artist, Witsprouts spoke with Abdulwadud, exploring the intricacies of his craft, the fuel behind his activism, and the stories that drive his art. From the studios of Nigeria to the global stage, Abdulwadud’s voice resonates with a generation yearning for change. Let’s embark on this fascinating journey, as he shares his insights, inspirations, and the unwavering commitment to his art.

Abdulwaduud Afolabi, popularly also known as MrWaduud, is a renowned cross-disciplinary artist from Lagos, Nigeria. His art, marked by vibrant colours and thought-provoking abstract and portrait works, challenges conventional narratives. With over 100,000 followers on Instagram, he promotes and curates content that inspires his fellow creatives.

He has executed large-scale projects for corporations and the Lagos State Government, and his work has been exhibited in prestigious galleries. Deeply influenced by the memory of craftsmanship and patience behind the weaving of the Aso-Oke, he pushes the boundaries of his artistic expression beyond the expected to the realms that begs the question “how?”

Abdulwaduud’s impactful art has also gained recognition through television appearances and viral social media presence. His dedication to storytelling and creative advocacy continues to inspire and transform the art community, making him an influential figure in contemporary Nigerian art.

HANEEFAH ABDULRAHMAN. Do you agree that Art is also a form of activism? How have you used your art to protest against bad governance in Nigeria?

MR WADUUD. My approach to art has always been to use it as a voice of reason and a tool for change. I use my artworks to challenge conformity and provoke thoughts about societal issues, including governance. I have explored themes questioning authority and societal norms, which I believe reflect my stance on activism through art.

Nigeria has protested against its government in different ways. As a matter of fact, some protesters were killed in Kaduna on the 1st of August, 2024. Do you think this protest will make much difference and if Nigeria refuses to get better, will you consider leaving Nigeria with your Art?

My opinion about the protest is that things shouldn’t have to get worse first before we react. The cost of living shouldn’t have been half this high before we started marching in the street to protest the damage to come. Nonetheless, we are here and the protest will yield as much result as it can get, but with the state of our policies, rule of law and, our leadership right now, I don’t think we can reach a satisfactory resolution anytime soon, but as always, we will take the little we can get out of it. And on leaving Nigeria, I refuse to believe it won’t get better but I think about it, plus I don’t see myself going to slave away in another man’s land.

Could you remember what your first artwork was based on? And how did you find yourself creating an artwork for the first time? What prompted it ?

I will fumble the memory even if I try but I remember I started actively drawing to escape my immediate world, it was my little joy, my companion through the loneliness.

What  is the ideal geographical location for you to paint like? Why? 

Quiet atmosphere in urban centers. I dream of painting in private and public spaces all around the world. I like my cities bustling with life but giving me space for my privacy. I love spaces with extensive public spaces that  can serve as canvases for my large-scale murals and installations, increasing the reach and impact of my work in the communities they serve. Right now, I enjoy how the historical significance of Nigeria provide endless inspiration for my work.

When you are deep and thick in painting, what is a usual day like for you? 

My typical day begins early, first prayer, then exercise,  then I structure out my itinerary for the day, and attend to anything important before I step into the studio, where I spend the most significant portion of my day. I curate contents at intervals, jot down my ideas in moments of inspiration or reflection and slip into my evening with catchups with my loved ones.

You are known to be supportive of other creatives especially those who aren’t very visible  by sharing their contents. This support you give, is it coming from a place of relatability before you got to where you are now  or is there another reason? 

Yes, it comes from the place of relatability. I am a believer that a win for one of us, is a win for all creators. So I use my platforms to break this hush-hush culture in the art space. Particularly because starting out and figuring out a lot of things by myself made me make a lot of mistakes, lost opportunities, relationships, and prospects, and if by the lessons I share from my experience, an emerging artist or creator can take heed and grow faster, then that’s enough for me. We are still years of ideas behind, so we need to fuel one another with right answers. A lot of us have wings, some of us just need to trust the jump. 

Your solo exhibition, “Military Zone: Keep off” explores human spirit’s resilience against societal constraints; you braided your hair, you  put on a stud in the spirit of the exhibition. What inspired this ideology and what is the relationship between your art and societal conformity? 

I was inspired by my desire to encourage a questioning mindset. The exhibition delved into themes of resilience against societal constraints, urging my viewers to resist the pressures that confine their curiosities and passions. My decision to braid my hair and wear a stud was symbolic in the spirit of the exhibition, representing a personal rebellion against the traditional norms and societal expectations of me as a person and as a Muslim.

The idea is that conformity stifles our individuality and creativity. These cautions are barriers that inhibit our personal discovery and artistic growth. All that I do today, I learned it by doing. If I had listened to people who only see to the extent of their own limitations, I wouldn’t have exceeded it. I now use the military metaphors and camouflage colours in my works to serve as a critique of the authoritative structures that enforce conformity. There’s this need in me for all of us to explore and discover beyond imposed boundaries, it might be perceived as challenging the status quo but I am only promoting a more inquisitive and innovative society.

I find your artwork STUBBORN LOVE oxymoronic, especially with the words you associated it with; “devotion and doubt intertwine in loving, …tender beginnings and the looming shadows of potential ending…hope against hope…sighs between sighs…the intensity of love and the sacrifices that comes with it is daring. What does love really mean to you? Do you think the world, your art would be complete and connecting without love?  

For me, love is both intense and fraught with sacrifices. There’s no love without an unwavering commitment, persistent hope, and the inherent risk of heartbreak. I create from a place of love that extends beyond me, without knowing love, my art loses its emotional depth and relatability. Without affection, intention and consideration, my art, the world, and everything that completes and connects us will be void.

“Trained By Silence” is one of your artworks that depicts mental health. You shared it with a caption, “Happy Men’s Mental Health to You”. How fair is society to men when it comes to mental health? 

Society pressures men to embody strength and resilience, and when care is not taken, it leads to reluctance to express vulnerability or seek help. The cultural expectation is for us to do both simultaneously but when that is done, our needs are dismissed or even used against us, then we wonder why men are suffering in silence. Society intensifies men’s mental health issues with the hypocrisy of this very expectation, but along, some of us are able to learn to find the balance.

Mental Survival is one of the issues you address in your paintings and art generally. For you, is art a form of escapism, venting, exploration of grief or depression. How exactly would you say you use your art to buttress mental survival? 

Like I mentioned earlier, art started for me as a form of escape but it has evolved to be many things for me. It’s my voice of reason, it’s my impact job, it’s my way to reach people and remind them they are not alone, it’s my medium to delight anyone. Above all, my art has been my one true love but it breaks my heart once in a while to keep things interesting.

There have been issues concerning the black existence which you have addressed on different occasions like in an event you were invited to and your studio session with Gbolahun Ayoola on The Controversial Art of Slawn. How would you define the inseparability of art from the black existence? 

Like in those discussions, I have emphasized how art is deeply interconnected with the Black experience—providing a voice to historical, cultural, and social issues that affect our Black community. Art is not only representing but also shaping our Black existence. My art has transformed perceptions in different spaces, and I just keep creating to ensure my works are an integral part of the ongoing dialogue about Black identity and empowerment.

If you could live in any of the artwork or poetry you have created, which would it be?

I would live in this poetic piece:

Perhaps, in
the pursuit of
something beautiful,
I stumbled upon you.

What is the most awkward form of inspiration you have ever had? 

The ones that come at me in the shower and I have nothing to write it down at that moment.

Artists can either be devils or angels in the place of emotions and matters of the heart, generally. I have seen many movies like Mea Culpa, Addicted, Blood Sisters  and I have read stories like Mororo’s Masterpiece where male artists are portrayed as womanizers or players. I have also read a few books portraying artists as hopeless romantic lovers to just a person. Most people believe that artists are humans with extreme ways of being either positively or negatively. How do you feel about this?

I am not a fan of Hollywood overly portraying artists as toxic and destructive. Just like in every group of people, there are people who are extreme, which makes them not far from the truth but we see and feel everything differently, and in a world used to the barest minimum, artists often move people in ways that are unfamiliar, pushing the limits between affection and obsession, and that can be a lot for many. 

You write poetry, you create content and you paint, which of these is most relatable to you? 

Telling stories. That’s the connecting dot of all I do. I write to tell a story. I create my best content through storytelling and I paint to tell stories. That’s all I live for. To move people with my stories.

If there ever comes a time when you do not have a choice but to choose one of these artistic things you do. Which will you pick; Poetry, Painting or Content Creation? Why? 

Painting. It is poetic and I can fill it with enough content for generations to keep watching.

Do you ever experience artist’s block?

I’m too occupied indulging in my other artistic expressions to even realize. When you are bored, do something different. That’s my mentality.

So far so good, you have achieved a lot; gotten nominated for awards, accessed opportunities, locally and globally. I know, creatives are never satisfied because growth never ends but does it get overwhelming for you sometimes, do you not crave the need to take a break? 

Wow. I didn’t see that coming. I actually do take breaks from time to time, but I have put so much out that people don’t even realize when I am not there.