Kiddo 1.2 is about me as a child growing up in Nigeria. It comes from memories of playing in the sand with my siblings, just being there, just being myself. There is something very simple and honest in that time, and that is what I wanted the work to hold. Like a lot of my work, it was also inspired by African masks. That influence is in the face, the shape and the structure. It connects the piece to something that feels familiar to me and to where I come from. The lines in the piece are also important. For me, they speak about my journey, my path through life, from my younger self to where I am now. I have lived in different countries and had different experiences, and those lines carry that movement, that history. So for me, this work is about memory, identity and journey. It is about my younger self, and about simply being me.
Shyne Eghosa (b. 1975) is a Nigerian-born, self-taught artist whose work explores memory and identity through bold, textured compositions. Since beginning to paint in early 2023, he has developed a raw and expressive style rooted in Neo-Expressionism, Art Brut, and a Trans-Cultural approach where African heritage and European diasporic experience collide. Working primarily on wood panels with acrylics, oil sticks, pastels, and fabric, he draws inspiration from traditional African masks and crafts, as well as artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Paul Klee, and Manolo Valdés. Many viewers relate his work to Basquiat, though his palette and forms also reflect the modernist spirit of Barcelona, where he currently lives. His choice of wood as a primary surface is rooted in childhood memories grounding his practice in personal history and an approach that embraces the raw, unrefined nature of the materials themselves. He is the founder of Unmaking Art Studio, a nonprofit space in Barcelona where a diverse group of emerging artists come together to share ideas, create, and exhibit. For him, “unmaking” is not about destruction, it’s about stripping away what no longer fits and giving shape to something more honest. As he puts it: “My art is a conversation between cultures, history, and my personal journey. Each piece is a step forward in discovering who I am.” Though new to the art scene, Shyne's work was selected for the juried Biennale di Chianciano 2024 in Tuscany, Italy. He has also exhibited in various group shows in Barcelona, and currently has work with Tobian Art Gallery in Florence, Italy.
Kiddo 1.2 is about me as a child growing up in Nigeria. It comes from memories of playing in the sand with my siblings, just being there, just being myself. There is something very simple and honest in that time, and that is what I wanted the work to hold. Like a lot of my work, it was also inspired by African masks. That influence is in the face, the shape and the structure. It connects the piece to something that feels familiar to me and to where I come from. The lines in the piece are also important. For me, they speak about my journey, my path through life, from my younger self to where I am now. I have lived in different countries and had different experiences, and those lines carry that movement, that history. So for me, this work is about memory, identity and journey. It is about my younger self, and about simply being me.
Shyne Eghosa (b. 1975) is a Nigerian-born, self-taught artist whose work explores memory and identity through bold, textured compositions. Since beginning to paint in early 2023, he has developed a raw and expressive style rooted in Neo-Expressionism, Art Brut, and a Trans-Cultural approach where African heritage and European diasporic experience collide. Working primarily on wood panels with acrylics, oil sticks, pastels, and fabric, he draws inspiration from traditional African masks and crafts, as well as artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Paul Klee, and Manolo Valdés. Many viewers relate his work to Basquiat, though his palette and forms also reflect the modernist spirit of Barcelona, where he currently lives. His choice of wood as a primary surface is rooted in childhood memories grounding his practice in personal history and an approach that embraces the raw, unrefined nature of the materials themselves. He is the founder of Unmaking Art Studio, a nonprofit space in Barcelona where a diverse group of emerging artists come together to share ideas, create, and exhibit. For him, “unmaking” is not about destruction, it’s about stripping away what no longer fits and giving shape to something more honest. As he puts it: “My art is a conversation between cultures, history, and my personal journey. Each piece is a step forward in discovering who I am.” Though new to the art scene, Shyne's work was selected for the juried Biennale di Chianciano 2024 in Tuscany, Italy. He has also exhibited in various group shows in Barcelona, and currently has work with Tobian Art Gallery in Florence, Italy.
