We caught up with London Artist Bambookidd – a.k.a. Brian Okello – to talk briefly about digital drawings, posting art online, getting inspiration during lockdown and what art means to him.
Bambookidd is an interesting name, where did it come from?
Bambookidd came from school, because I was very tall and lanky, and a bit skinny. Plus I was double-jointed and had this ability to twist my hands and limbs in ways not many people can which freaked out my friends, leading them to say I’m ‘like bamboo man, you just bend and don’t break’.
Also – and not many people know this – but ‘Kidd’ is a small homage to Jason Kidd who used to play for the New Jersey Nets, one of my favourite ballers of all time.
How long have you been doing art?
I’ve been drawing my entire life, really. I can’t remember a time that I wasn’t drawing. But when I started doing it seriously when I was leaving college and moving into Uni. University helped me brush up on the practice I already knew, and add some new skills and stuff like that. I studied visual communications, so it was more graphic design.
It was more theory rather than a lot of practical work, like why we are drawn to certain designs and why certain things stand out. At the time I was a little annoyed because all I wanted to do was produce art, but in the long run, what I gained on the other side, like understanding the visual language has benefitted me immensely.
This has been great because it has allowed me to really envision somebody else’s idea, and that helps when doing commissioned pieces.
What did you do after University?
I did a bit of part-time work and freelance photography. Photography was a side passion. I didn’t really take it too seriously, but then I saw a few cool opportunities becoming available. I had a friend who did nightclub promotions and special events, and needed some pictures taken to catch the vibe or ambiance for publication or promotion.
This was semi-regular work for a while which I enjoyed and was getting paid for. It not only helped me refine my work but gave me a chance to meet people that liked my work, and things kind of snowballed from there.
“It’s my truth, it’s my ‘honesty’ like it or not, I’m still gonna do it.”
What was your favourite photography project?
I worked on a project called the Africa Express where African and Western musicians combined and went on a train tour all over the UK, and I was one of the official photographers hired to capture professional and candid photos of the tour.
That was an experience as I went on tour for a few weeks taking pictures but also I got to be around talented musical artists like Damon Albarn, Bashy, Kano, and Amadou (from Amadou & Mariam, a well know African Musical duo).
Off the back of Africa Express I had the opportunity to document the 2012 Olympics, which I loved. I was at the Olympic village every day seeing plenty of the Olympians just being normal people in-between these huge events.
I didn’t really know who a lot of the people were, and there was so much going on that it was a little overwhelming, but fantastic experience for me.
So photography was going well, but you parked that for a minute to do more art?
I eventually got to a point where I wanted to get back into my art and engage my own creativity, so I started with some traditional stuff like painting and graffiti (street art), which I would document. Then I was like ‘ I got all these pieces, what should I do with them?’ and started putting them online, Myspace and Facebook were the thing at the time.
I didn’t really see that much love then. But got a few requests from it like ‘can you do me a logo, can you do my family as characters?’ – and most of the time these requests were for digital prints. I saw digital was the future and then started tailoring my style to suit.
“I don’t really draw noses or ears and I draw one big eye and one small eye, that’s my signature.”
What hardware do you use now compared to what you started with?
Now I use an app called ProCreate on the iPad which is excellent and does everything I could want, but Photoshop on the laptop was my starting point.
I didn’t really feel comfortable with it though because a mouse and a cursor just didn’t marry up with the fact that at the time I was still very traditional and very much appreciated physical drawings on paper or canvass. I actually didn’t like the idea of digital drawings and couldn’t confidently display my work because I was unsure of it myself.
That kind of changed once I saw a David Hockney exhibition, and he did an entire series on his iPad and it was brilliantly received, everyone loved it, and it helped change my opinion on digital art and its value, and from there I started to focus more on it.
It’s ultimately the same principle but you have so much more in terms of colour palettes, brush sizes, and strokes.
Has using technology hindered your ability to draw things?
Not at all! It’s the other way around, technology had it all, I just didn’t know it was there.
How did social media affect what you produced?
Instagram was where exposure was best for me. I followed the trends at the time of drawing celebrities, hoping they would see it maybe get a few likes off the back of that. I have a handful of celebrity followers which is great, they support the movement which is enough for me.
They have given me some traction, a bit of exposure and some more followers, which is always nice. But deep down I wasn’t really happy with the art and its creative direction (or lack of). It was only when I started to share stuff I wanted to do that I really started to find my voice and grow into the artist I see myself as.
Do you have a signature style?
I do have a particular style, I don’t really draw noses or ears and I draw one big eye and one small eye, that’s my signature. It’s based off a character I created when doing street art back in the day, and it’s become my style to this day.
Have you had any pieces go viral?
The first real sort of viral moment I had, I drew Kanye West when he was first doing his Sunday Service.
Personally I thought it was a beautiful moment, a beautiful scene and I got the vibes, so I drew that scene in my signature style, and before I knew it, it went viral and was picked up by Complex and some other online magazines that were nice enough to contact me and legit ask if they could share it. It was seen by tens of thousands of people, which gassed me man! It was amazing.
I do love the love, but for me the best part is the process, finding an idea, getting myself ready, sketching, the whole process is art. Sometimes, once completed, I take a step back and yes I gas myself, I have to be a fan of my own work.
Have you had any exhibitions of your work?
Yes. As 2020 started I had a couple of exhibitions that I was working on, which were thankfully well received. I was focused on these leading up to lockdown, so, unfortunately, haven’t been able to do any more this year.
What was lockdown like for you?
Lockdown was a really uncertain time for me. Just like many others I felt scared, I felt confused, I felt all the emotions during that spell.
I’m an over-thinker and it was a bit overwhelming to the point that I said to myself ‘you need to get active again’. So I got back into the art to express myself the best way I know how.
I combined pop-culture imagery with current events, and every day I’d find another image that I felt represented what I wanted to say. It also kept me busy, gave me routine and kept the mind active. If I didn’t have art I could have easily fallen into bad habits in an attempt to numb the pain.
What kind of imagery came through during that time?
My inspiration is taken from everything going on around me and interpreted through my eyes. It’s my truth, it’s my honesty. Like it or not, I’m still gonna do it. It’s kind of like a diary.
One day I can sit down with my children and show them what that moment in time was like. 2020 has been a year with plenty of inspiration and has given me a chance to big up the health service, shed some light on the effects of isolation, embrace my African heritage, and share my truth as a Black man that grew up in London.
I am a strong person but have a sensitive soul, and when I see such a massive injustice happening, it really hurts and of course bleeds out into my work.
So George Floyd and the BLM movements among other causes filled me with thoughts, feelings, and imagery I wanted to draw.
How has your recent work been received?
People seem to like what I do and believe my truth, and it’s incredibly humbling, it’s a beautiful feeling. Really cool.
However the problem with social media, you can never please everyone. I am careful with the images I use or promote, the positioning of items, or even the caption I use because I do want to be sensitive to people’s feelings and opinions.
I’m just trying to have a conversation, some of my creations are hard-hitting but I’m not trying to offend just open up a conversation and possibly inspire.
I truly believe in ‘you being the change you want to see in the world.’
What kind of things are you looking at going forward?
Currently, I’m not posting much stuff but have been working on quite a few commissioned pieces. Everything I’m earning doing these would go straight back into buying more and better equipment.
I’m doing some artwork for a children’s book, still drawing logos. I’m working on doing various merchandising designs, which is exciting for me – high-quality prints, frames, personal logos.
I am working on a website but that is on the backburner for now. Instagram and Facebook have been serving me very well giving me the exposure I want and also providing business links and partnership opportunities.
I going to try to transition into paint, and use oils & acrylics. The dream is to be able to live off my work, keep collaborating, keep being able to put up shows and exhibits, maybe have my art on the side of a building!
Vinyl toys, dioramas, cartoons, video games. I’m happy I not there yet because I have places to go.
Check out more pieces on Brian’s Instagram – @bambookidd_
