INTERVIEW

You describe yourself as“a self-taught photographer and visual artist”; when did you first discover “the art world” and realize you wanted to be an artist? What was your path to becoming a photographer?
OM: I have to say that I stumbled into the art world after repeatedly being called an artist. I fought with that title for a while because I didn’t want to be classified and put in a box of what an artist should be. I just wanted to be creative.

I stumbled into photography back in 2010 while I was out for 1yr, after failing a unit in Architecture school. I took that year to research, learn, experiment and grow as a photographer. It’s been a journey ever since


What do you think the power of art is?
OM: In 2018 I was in Lausanne, Switzerland for a photography festival where my work was being shown. The lady who was hosting us had a guest coming over and since our host was running late, she asked us to share our work with her guest in order to keep her company. If I remember correctly she was from Guinea, West Africa. Even though there was a barrier in our communication (she spoke French and we didn’t), she automatically connected with the work just by looking at it. All of a sudden, she came alive! She took pride in her heritage and background and spoke of the characters as if she knew them personally. To me, that is the POWER OF ART.

How did your upbringing in Kenya shape your aesthetic and vision? Has that changed now that you are based in Vancouver?
OM: This is without a doubt true, that being born and raised in Kenya shaped my aesthetics and vision. In Kenya, nearly everything around you is a source of inspiration, you just have to ask the right questions.

Initially when I moved to Vancouver, I was afraid that my passion for the continent would die out. I struggled to look at things the way I had previously done before. The secret was shifting my perspective. I now see my home from a different place, from the outside looking in. You get to see things you did not spot before. You become a better artist.


One aim of your work is to re-imagine a “New Africa”. What does this mean to you and how is this reflected in your work?
OM: For me it is about creating a different narrative from what Africa is known for. For too long our narrative has always been around war, poverty, sickness, corruption, famine and many other issues. There is so much we have to offer. I chose the path of fiction storytelling as a tool to tell this new alternative with the hope that it will uplift, encourage and shift the perspectives of those who engage with the work.


What themes are most inspiring and important to you, and how do you choose the subjects you shoot?
OM: There are a lot of themes that are highlighted in my work, but the one that always stands out and is the underlying theme across the entire collection, is the story of the underdog, the unrepresented in our society. 


Your commercial work includes work for the television show Queen Sugar and the drinks brand Campari; what would be your dream project and/or brand collaboration?
OM: For some reason I’m always drawn to liquor brands for their ‘out of the box’ approach when it comes to engaging with the younger generation, especially in the continent. I had an amazing experience working on an Afrofuturistic project with Absolut Vodka in South Africa. It was a bold move for such an established brand but it paid off.


You have cited Malik Sidibé as one of your heroes of African art; who else has been an inspiration for you?
OM: I tend to find my inspiration from an unconventional space which is the world of commercial photography and the 2D/3D illustration world. Both these spaces have a way of capturing colour, displaying unique composition and the overall craftsmanship in the execution. In the commercial photography space I’m inspired by Carlos Serrao and Marcus Eriksson. In the illustration world I’m inspired by artists such as Cedric Peyraverney and South African illustrator Seth Pimentel.


We first came across your work at the1-54 African Art Fair in London, one of our favourite fairs and indeed a fair that is instrumental in putting contemporary African artists on the map. What excites you the most about the contemporary African art market and its role in the global art scene?
OM: If feels that African art finally matters. It’s not only from a commercial point of view but rather we can be bold in sharing our stories without feeling sidelined, unappreciated or that the stories need to be altered to fit a certain stereotype.

Find Osborne on his Instagram page here / He is represented by the Montague Contemporary Gallery