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Artist Quotes by Toyin Odutola

9 Artist quotes by Toyin Odutola

All Artist quotes Toyin Odutola’s page

Toyin Odutola’s nine reflections on the artist’s practice emphasize narrative, texture, and identity. The concise set offers a glimpse into how she weaves personal and cultural stories through layered portraiture, making it a useful starter for those exploring her visual language.

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For a while, I was nervous about portraying women because of the objectification that automatically comes with it, whether the artist intends…

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I don't think about race before I start drawing. I think about how to make that mark to fit whatever purpose I…

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I dont think about race before I start drawing. I think about how to make that mark to fit whatever purpose I…

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I kept wanting to push my image as validity; I wanted to see my portrait on a wall and know it was…

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Being a black artist, the first thing people want to talk about is your blackness, the importance of your blackness, and your…

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For a while, I was nervous about portraying women because of the objectification that automatically comes with it, whether the artist intends…

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I've always felt the portrait is an occasion for marks to happen. I've never viewed the portrait as about the sitter. Even…

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Kerry James Marshall especially was a huge influence on me in graduate school, as were Wangechi Mutu and Julie Mehretu. These artists…

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I started blogging because I didn't know if I wanted to be an artist. I wanted to talk to other people online…

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More by Toyin Odutola

I'm really interested in independent publishers and memes and mini comics. But even before that, I was interested in Japanese manga and anime.

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For a while, I was nervous about portraying women because of the objectification that automatically comes with it, whether the artist intends or not.

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The social media bit is really about documenting process. I like the dialogue if it's constructive, but I'm now at a crossroads. I've accumulated…

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I needed to create something I could take with me wherever I went.

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I dont think about race before I start drawing. I think about how to make that mark to fit whatever purpose I need it…

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I kept wanting to push my image as validity; I wanted to see my portrait on a wall and know it was okay.

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Being a black artist, the first thing people want to talk about is your blackness, the importance of your blackness, and your black presence.

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For a while, I was nervous about portraying women because of the objectification that automatically comes with it, whether the artist intends or not.…

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Where some may see flat, static narratives, I see a spectrum of tonal gradations and realities. What I am creating is literally black portraiture…

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It's kind of a language I've developed over time that's basically breaking up the face into components and planes. Inside each plane, I draw…

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Kerry James Marshall especially was a huge influence on me in graduate school, as were Wangechi Mutu and Julie Mehretu. These artists are titans.…

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I moved around a lot when I was a child; two of the houses I grew up in have totally disappeared. One was burnt…

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I don't think about race before I start drawing. I think about how to make that mark to fit whatever purpose I need it…

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I started blogging because I didn't know if I wanted to be an artist. I wanted to talk to other people online who were…

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The graphic style itself is influenced by a lot of very layered and detailed comics that I read as a kid, like 'Vagabond' by…

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