Kpe Innocent | Artist

Kpe Innocent (b. 1994), a self-taught visual artist, strives to create works that resonate with people everywhere by incorporating themes surrounding love, grace, hope and speaking to conditions that affect us as humans. His incorporation of pop-culture references, e.g. the Nike sportswear logo into his work, is one way of capturing the globalized world, as well as representing the commonality the entire human race share, regardless of geographic or sociological limitations, since at the end of the day we all have similar fears and we all hope for better things.

Kpe’s paintings are primarily in acrylic paint on canvas, and he infuses his interest in minimalist design and aesthetics (with focus on negative spaces and forms) into his traditional painting practice. The paintings are adorned in muted and earthy colours, and the abstract figures are rendered in black and white (leaning towards a shade of grey). These figures are mostly in isolation (to depict our natural state of individuality).

To Kpe, art is a reflection of the artist’s make-up, including beliefs and culture, as well as futuristic visions the artist might have concerning society and the world at large. Art is a way of reminding people that there can be good in the world regardless of the evil that is predominant; that unity leads to peace; that each one of us has a role to play in making the world a better place, and that at the end of the day, this life is ephemeral, and purpose when found, also gives life meaning. These according to Kpe, are some of the roles art is supposed to play in the society.