Harlem born and Brooklyn raised artist Kip Omolade is innovating black faces in gallery places with his chrome sculptures. With roots as a graffiti artist and a background with Marvel, he combines both worlds with his futuristic and authentically dreamy visuals. With his works finding a home at the Opera Gallery Hong Kong and Opera Gallery Singapore, he presents people of color in a infinite hue and we had a brief conversation with him to break it all down:

Diovadiova Chrome portraits historically connect to ancient, realistic African sculptures such as Benin ivory masks and Ife bronze heads. The oil paintings are psychological studies that investigate immortality, the universal masks we all wear and contemporary notions of beauty and luxury. The labor-intensive process involves making a mold of each model’s face, reworking the cast plaster sculpture, producing a version in resin and adding a chrome layer with artificial eyelashes. The final sculpture then serves as a model for the hyper-realistic oil painting. This technique maintains the likeness qualities of portraiture while re-presenting a mask that serves as a conduit between the spiritual and natural world.

RYB: Give the readers a brief background of yourself and your career.

KIP: I was born in Harlem, NY and later moved to Brooklyn where I began my art career. I started as a graffiti artist while interning at Marvel Comics and The Center for African Art. I continued at The Art Students League of New York and earned a BFA at the School of Visual Arts. My work is currently available directly or through Opera Gallery Hong Kong and Opera Gallery Singapore.

R: Where did the inspiration for your chrome sculptures come from?

K: Since I was a teenager, I have been interested in rendering metallic faces. I think it comes from my obsession with comic book characters like Silver Surfer or Colossus from the X-Men.

R: Describe the process of creating the sculpture.

K: The process involves making a mold and cast of each model’s face, reworking the cast plaster sculpture, producing a version in resin and adding a chrome layer with artificial eyelashes.

R: How important is color to your artwork? How do you choose palettes for your work?

K: When I sketch for my paintings, I always start with different color combinations. Colors serve as the structure for my work. Color combinations just come to me but sometimes inspiration comes from nature or trash or fashion magazines or candy wrappers...it could be from anywhere.

R: How would you define color theory as a fine artist?

K: Artists should know about the formulas surrounding color especially how we perceive color. Knowing about the color wheel, warm/cool colors, color mixing, etc gives an artist a vocabulary to use with their creations. This basic language can lead to a more spiritual and psychological connection to the spectrum.

R: What's your favorite color and why?

K: Color exists within a context. Any preference for a particular color depends on its relationship with surrounding colors. For me, it’s about how different colors interact with each other. I’m actually more interested in the vibrancy of color. I love how paint looks when it just comes out the tube. I want to maintain that level of saturation of color with my work.

R: How can readers see your work and learn about your upcoming events?

K: My work will be featured in the upcoming Spoke Art Super Sonic Invitational. For other upcoming events, your readers can also check out my website: www.kipomolade.com or Instagram: @kipomolade

Portraits by Kip Omolade