Nigerian artist and animator Gideon Egbuchlam visited Los Medanos College Nov. 7 as a part of its Equity Speaker Series. Egbuchlam is a Nigerian visual artist who creates stunning art with unique character designs. He has a large presence in the Bay Area, currently working for Compound Gallery based in Emeryville.
Students and staff filled the conference center in the Student Union to listen as Egbuchlam recounts how he started his career in animation. He shared a personal story about when his father left his family, and he stepped up to help out.
He explained the effort was out of great love for his family.
“They are the rock and center of my creativity,” said Egbuchlam.
Egbuchlam created his own graphic novel “Quasar” hoping to turn it into a fully animated TV series. The story follows two siblings: Kytt and Braille who live on planet Sheol, surrounded by giant aliens who are the architects of all the stars in the sky. The style is modern and sleek but still reminiscent of a classic comic book.
He found inspiration for his graphic novel in shows like the Japanese anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion and the animated superhero series, Invincible. The approach he used in creating his novel was inspired by spaghetti western, partially because he enjoys how they take their time telling the story.
He is not only an artist, but an activist who uses his art to spread a message of equality. Egbuchlam created a clothing brand called “Shape Da Futur” to spread awareness of injustices faced by people of color that stem from white supremacy. “Shape Da Futur” raised more than $3000 for different charities like Peoples Breakfast Oakland and National Black Disability Coalition.
Egbuchlam is just one of the speakers in the Equity Speaker series. Robert Delgado from the Office of Equity and Inclusion shared why Egbuchlam was chosen for this series.
“His story was powerful and broke boundaries,” he said.
Delgado added that his goal for the series was to “create intersectionality within individuals” and “explore the possibilities.”
Art professor Eric Sanchez referred Egbuchlam to Delgado thinking that he would be a good fit for the Equity Speaker series.
“When I was looking at Gideon, what he was talking to me about was how he was promoting himself,” Sanchez said, adding that what stood out was, “his entrepreneurial spirit.”
Egbuchlam is an artist worth looking into if you have any interest in animation, figure drawing, or character design. To view his art, visit his portfolio page at gideonegbuchulam.com, or on his Instagram page @Ivorycurlz.
