Discussing Afrofuturism, themes from Wakanda and Building Black Civilizations with LEGO art with Ekow Nimako - Episode 81
What if a vision of a place like Wakanda isn’t in the distant future? What if the ideas, architecture and planning are already being imagined?
Ekow Nimako is a Toronto-based, internationally exhibiting LEGO artist who crafts futuristic and whimsical sculptures from the iconic medium. Rooted in his childhood hobby and intrinsic creativity, Nimako’s formal arts education and background as a lifelong multidisciplinary artist inform his process and signature aesthetic. His fluid building style, coupled with the Afrofuturistic themes of his work, beautifully transcend the geometric medium to embody organic and fantastical silhouettes.
His large scale public installations include the monumental Cavalier Noir (Nuit Blanche, 2018) which features a seven-foot Black rider atop a dauntless Black unicorn. Conceptualized in collaboration with Director X, the piece subverts the dominant imagination of public monuments and centres Black narratives.
Nimako’s installation To Feed the Village, the Young Must Grow debuted at Berlin’s Urban Contemporary Art Biennale (Urban Nation Museum for Urban Contemporary Art, 2019) alongside other internationally renowned visual artists. The touring group show Brick by Brick features several works from his Building Black Mythos series and opened in 2019 (20-21 Visual Arts Centre, UK, 2019).
Nimako’s medieval Africa inspired series Building Black Civilizations opened in 2019 at the Aga Khan Museum. The architectural and imaginative pieces explore the untold narrative of sub-Saharan Africa during the middle ages, with detailed references to architecture, Islamic civilizations and Afrofuturism. The anticipated sequel to this exhibition, Building Black:Civilizations II, premieres at Dunlop gallery in Regina in the fall of 2022.
Nimako’s latest body of work Building Black AMORPHIA presents artworks that thread together elements of West African mask making traditions, fauna and organic forms to create an amorphous and fantastical tapestry. This wall-mounted series displayed at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto from January to June 2020. Exhibition plans for AMORPHIA II opening in London are currently underway.
Nimako’s work has been featured in media outlets and publications such as NOW Magazine, CBC, CBC Radio, Global News, TorontoLife, VICE, Toronto Star, BlogTO, Hyperallergic and the Globe and Mail. He is a published author of Beasts from Bricks (Quarry Books, 2017) an instructional LEGO book featuring miniature sculptures of rare and beautiful animals with an elevated aesthetic.
Key Takeaways
Talent and passion can sprout from a young age - Ekow always wanted to create for as long as he could remember, exploring creative avenues like drawing, music, and sculpture throughout his life. As a young child, he wasn’t even aware of the term “artist” but those around him recognized his talents and informed him of what he was.
Think outside the box - Ekow wanted to dedicate his time to art that was specifically for Black people so he turned to sculpting with LEGO and became a LEGO artist. From a LEGO box, not many people would think of creating the type of LEGO sculptures Ekow creates. With his artistic vision, he and his team pour in 100 to 1000 hours making entrancing sculptures from black LEGO pieces.
Recognition comes gradually - 2014 is the year that Ekow cites as the year his career started to take off. He received a grant which allowed him to create without the constraint of cost. Throughout the years, Ekow has been growing his Instagram page and working hard. His work has gained recognition both in Canada and internationally. In addition, Ekow just recently secured a formal deal with the LEGO Group!
Advice for aspiring artists - Get accustomed to solitude, as being an artist is time consuming. The majority of your time is going to be spent alone with your art. Be realistic- think about whether you want to pursue art full-time or go after another route while keeping art as your main passion. Consider the fact that you might need to balance the time spent on art and the time spent on other activities to ensure you have enough to get by. Be aware about art production and your desired artistic journey. Know what art you want to create and the medium it uses. Certain mediums allow for faster art production which could bring more short-term success. On the other hand, carving out your niche could bring more long-term success.
Tradeoffs can pay off in the end - For many years, Ekow worked a job he didn’t enjoy, listened to his boss and dealt with racism in the workplace to make enough money to survive. He spent time and energy on his job that could have been put into his art. However, the money he earned allowed him to continue pursuing his true calling on the side. This tradeoff was made until it was no longer necessary and Ekow finally had the freedom to live off his work, dedicating everything he had to his creations. The freedom that comes with Ekow’s position as a renowned artist is what he is most grateful for today.
Ekow’s Resources
Website: https://ekownimako.com/artwork/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ekownimako/
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