A self-taught Nigerian artist with a passion for representing his culture has found a unique way to use fire and blades on wood to render incredibly hyperrealistic portraits.
Alex Peter Idoko, 30, is based in Abuja, Nigeria, and has been practicing art for 23 years, 15 professionally. He describes his field as “surrealism and hyperrealism” and over the years has mastered the art of pyrography, otherwise known as writing with fire.
Talking to The Epoch Times, Idoko said that he finds inspiration from his environment and happenings around the world. “I interpret them through the vision of my imagination,” said the artist, who developed a love for drawing at a very tender age.
Idoko said the skillful use of fire is fundamental to bringing realism to his artworks and that “this approach comes naturally” to him as he has mastered it over the years. The artist renders portraits measuring anything between 1-by-1 feet and 5-by-5 feet in size. Large pieces can take up to six weeks to complete.
“The same way that fire refines and purifies gold, it also refines and purifies art,” he wrote. “That’s how I envision my creative process when I bring my subject to life to create an artwork.”
The passionate artist produces each hand-drawn portrait by first identifying a subject and sketching his idea on paper. He then sets to work preparing and cutting the wood, translating his sketch onto this new surface, and bringing the subject to life with a fine blowtorch and blades.
The artwork “Isoken” is a fire and pastel on wood portrait that also uses a “Ghana Must Go” shopping bag as the material for the women’s shirts. “The piece speaks of life and the pathway we go through. Life is a journey and we are a compendium of our experiences,” he told The Epoch Times.
Another of Idoko’s favorite pieces is “Onyoche,” a portrait of a beautiful woman in regal clothing rendered with fire, blades, and charcoal on wood. The artist uses a comb in the woman’s hair “to show that Africans were indeed capable of producing all things needed to run their society, and also had beauty gadgets that fit their beauty standards and suit their skin and hair types.”
“I understand the power of consistency, learning and relearning, skill-building, and personal development. These were what made my art improve over time,” he said.
“The grace of God has been a part of it, too.”
