King Owusu
King Owusu, a Ghanaian-British illustrator, artist and model based in London, creates elaborate, striking and narrative-driven art through photography, poetry, mural, illustration and sculpture. Expressive and passionate, he draws inspiration from past and present surroundings to create works that embrace and connect us to the ordinary and everyday. Rooted in a desire to encourage harmony and share the most simple truths of the value of connectedness and the interwoven nature of humanity, his artistic language is unique and distinct and, like creation itself, broad, vast and varied.
KING OWUSU
Interview: Thomasina R. Legend
Photography: Edvinas Bruzas
What drew you to drawing? What inspired you to get into it and why drawing as a form of creative expression? From a young age, my brothers and I were very creative and it was a way we used to relax or express ourselves when things got a bit stressful or just as a downtime activity. Then when I got to school, I had a really great art teacher who gave me the guidance I needed. If I remember correctly, she must have asked who wanted to be an artist or go to art school and, because it was something my brothers were doing already, and something I was also very familiar with, I said I wanted to. I think because I said that she always gave me that extra attention to guide me and help me along the way. I have 4 older brothers but currently I am the only one who still draws as a career. They are all doing something different. One of my brothers is into graphic design and does apply his art knowledge to his craft but not full time.
You are on this creative wave and doing dope, amazing things with your art. It’s such a passion for you. Why drawing as a passionate form of creative expression? Oh, thank you! For me it’s the immediacy of it. I believe it’s not something you need to be taught how to do. You can give a pen or pencil to a child no matter how young and they will start making marks or streaks and that’s a very natural thing. So for me it’s a very natural and honest way to express myself because whatever you’re thinking or however you are feeling, you can transfer it to the page and see it take form. Even when you’re not feeling anything, you can also see nothing on the page. If you’re feeling stressed or have anxiety, it shows and translates on to the page and tells a story that you can’t really articulate at that particular moment. You can’t really fake that. I just like the honesty of it.
That’s actually really beautiful. You went to Central Saint Martin’s. What did you study at CSM and how would you describe your time there? I had a great time studying graphic design and my favourite time there was during my foundation degree. For me, there was a point in time where there was so much mystery surrounding being an artist; how to become one, how to go about it, how to survive as an artist, etc., I think it made us eager to learn all we could and enabled us to create some of our best work ever, which gave us a chance to be selected for the BA course. I also met a lot of really amazing people at the school and, to me, that’s the greatest value of the school. The value is not really in the name of the institution as such but in the people you get to meet who later become your creative network and net worth. Also forming lifelong relationships that are golden within the industry. Going to CSM also enabled me to make being an artist/creative a bit more real in my mind if you know what I mean? Prior to going to art school, I didn’t know what opportunities a career in art offered or how an artist could work in the real world outside of making paintings and dying and then those paintings becoming really valuable. It also opened me up to the world of advertising, photography, fine art and fashion and how they work and collectively interlink. Outside of school, I don’t think I would have gotten the opportunities I got to broaden both knowledge and skills.
Where do you find the inspiration for your murals and art works? I remember you did a beautiful one where you celebrated the amazing women in your life and family. Where does the inspiration come from? They are the things I have been thinking about for a very long time.
For that project I wanted to say thank you to the amazing women in my life and celebrate my mum and people like her because it’s difficult to find ways to express your deep appreciation. So I really just try to say simple things through my art, things that I have been thinking about and wanting to express but probably don’t know how. Expressing it through art is easier and makes more sense to me.
I pose questions to myself and try to find meaning and answers through the art I create. The process of finding, seeking or investigating answers through art is very healing and I love that about art.
You currently model and I know you’re trying to separate that journey from your artistic side but actually your modelling journey is an artistic expression as well when you think about it, so I would like to know what inspired your decision to go into modelling? I actually started modelling in my foundation year because some of the students needed models for their foundation shows. I was happy to help because it was a cool way to make money to buy art supplies at the time and it evolved into me helping and assisting other students in all the different departments be it knitwear, print or fashion ready-to-wear. A relationship with a lot of the students developed and blossomed. And then I met Campbell Addy and Ibrahim Kamara one day in the library and they told me their ideas, which pushed it a lot further. What I like about it is being able to collaborate with diverse creative talents and the numerous opportunities that open up for me. I’ve met so many amazing people on this journey that I wouldn’t have met or worked with if not for modelling. So yes, it’s been a great networking tool.
That’s true and I love how you have expressed being appreciative of the opportunities that have been opened to you because a lot of people don’t see opportunities when it’s right there or even handed to them on a platter of gold because they realise they still have to put in work. Absolutely and the thing is, it’s not like I went to CSM or to art school to pursue modelling. Honestly, I didn’t even know that was a thing. I thought it was a job only for a privileged few. There was a time when I first started and some friends discouraged me saying I couldn’t do it. I put myself out there and went to some agencies in London but got rejected. It was only after meeting Campbell, just before he created his agency, that I got the opportunity. I’ve had success because of him and from the work I’ve done at CSM. And here is the interesting thing: it wouldn’t have cost those agencies anything to place an image of someone like me on their website or give me an opportunity to be a part of what they were doing. The rejection of Black/Brown bodies by mainstream was prevalent and I guess that’s how it used to be but thankfully it’s changing a lot now though slowly but changing non the less.
You’re right it’s slowly changing but I mean it still feels pretty much the same. I feel like unless you’re associated with or know someone who knows someone within the industry or associated with a famous name, the doors don’t get opened for you. So yeah I feel and believe there are still lots of barriers to pull down but hopefully it changes and at a faster rate too. I believe the work that Harry Uzoka put in before his sad passing in 2018 set the ball rolling in terms of changing things a bit and paved the way for others like myself. It’s hard to not recognise the massive impact he had on a lot of us because he showed us it was possible to make it in the industry as a Brown boy.
Absolutely love the insights you are giving. Insights that are not shared and one of the reasons why I really wanted to speak to you about your journey, your views, from your perspective as a male model. Thank you so much for this. How has the modelling journey impacted your mental, emotional and physical health? Thank you for having me, honestly, it’s my pleasure. I’ve found a great deal of fortune by being surrounded by a lot of good people who have kept me grounded. I have never taken this modelling thing to be more than what it is. I have been able to see it quite clearly but that’s not to say that it’s not difficult being rejected from jobs, investing time going to Paris Fashion Weeks and not getting any shows.
How did those rejections make you feel as a person, as a creative? At the time it was hard. It is hard. It also makes you question a lot like what can I do differently? Or what should I be doing? Or am I inadequate? It does affect you and at times you begin to disassociate from yourself and you just don’t fit the criteria for a project. You have to remember that it’s not you; it’s just what it is. For a lot of young people who get into this when they are seventeen, eighteen or at very vulnerable stage of life when they can’t mentally handle something that they can’t even control, it’s heart-breaking and can easily damage their mental health. I have been lucky during those times to be surrounded with fun people who could help take my mind off the negativity that surrounds the whole process.
I believe it’s important to have a great sense of self but also to have a great support network of positive, affirming and encouraging people that will help you and keep you going. Just go out there, do your best and be positively open to the results that come, be they good or bad.
Make sure you have the strength mentally, emotionally and physically to go onto the next one and just keep going because one day that door will open and will open onto others that will set you up forever.
Have you faced any challenges or struggles as a model? What are the immediate challenges you face as a creative person? One of the biggest things is that a lot of us are doing this for the very first time. There aren’t many, well I don’t know of older black creatives that have been able to sort of give me that guidance. So a lot of us are making the mistakes in real time and desperately looking for mentors within the industry that can show us the way or even just guide us, show us how to do things. I think that’s one of the big things, there not being a set path or not many that have gone on this journey before. There are just a few that are well known by name from photographers, set designers, artists, models but at the same time they are so unaccessible it’s crazy.
Completely understand it. So with this challenge, how have you overcome it or work towards overcoming things like this? What do you do for yourself to keep going? I think for me it’s always been about self-motivation. I have always been quite self-motivated in the fact that I didn’t become an artist because my brothers or anyone told me to. I did it because I enjoyed it and yeah there were people that said I had enthusiasm and the passion to do it but I did it because it was openly something that I wanted to do and I believed in myself. I also talk a lot to my friends who have that kind of self-belief and passion and I surround myself with those kind of people be it Campbell, my friend Daniela or my friend Koy and bounce off of their energy as well. I believe, as a creative, it’s all about building a community of people who are positive, talented, passionate, consistent no matter what is thrown at them because at the end of the day no one is an island and this journey is hard and you can’t always do it by yourself. A great community of amazing people is always very important. And it’s important to remember that the best work is made with a community of people. There is a whole system that works when we collectively come together to collaborate and make magic happen.
How was lockdown for you? How did you get on mentally, emotionally and physically? How was your mental health during lockdown? I had a really good time during lockdown. It was a great experience and I feel like it was the best thing that could have happened for me personally because it gave me the time to really focus. Having been working hard prior to lockdown and doing a lot of work for other brands and people, lockdown gave me the opportunity to just tune everything else out and focus on me and the things that I wanted to do. I woke up one day and I had lots of time. That’s precious because time is like gold dust when you are working for others. But during lockdown I had time to focus on things without the fear of losing work or contracts or casting and all that. And it’s funny because certain opportunities came during the time, as well, which is lucky for me I guess. I don’t think we are ever going to get another opportunity to slow down and just shut everything out and concentrate on ourselves. That time the whole world was forced, and I mean literally forced, to stop and you could be in the comfort of your space and do whatever the hell you want with no one questioning you. There was no judgment, just love, and that was beautiful. A truly hard time outside because of what was happening around the world but truly beautiful in human response and solidarity.
That’s absolutely true. So what has post lockdown been like for you as a creative and how do you see the era/changing scope of the world concerning work? I feel like during and just after lockdown people actually slowed down and started embracing a slower pace because they got to understand how important it is for our overall health. People are taking their time, easing back slowly, not such a rush to get things out, be it new work or content or whatever. There was always so much going on and it was so fast-paced that a lot didn’t have the time to digest or assimilate that entire content and information overload. But with post lockdown, people are taking their time to enjoy and digest what is being delivered. Lockdown was such a good time because competition stopped and we began to focus on community and making sure we looked out for each other. We looked out for the elderly, making sure they were ok and someone actually made me a pie. Yeah, a pie! I had met them once on the street sometime ago but for them to think of me and make me a pie, wow. It was amazing to see people connect without actually physically connecting. For post lockdown, I really like the slow pace to getting outside open again. It’s like rediscovering something you had but now you value and understand just how important everything is. How precious life is and all that translates into our art and how we shape our lives moving forward.
As a young creative person on this journey, working hard and navigating the industry, am sure you have had your fair share of low moments. Talk to me about some of those moments and how you work through them so they don’t cripple you. Honestly when I am in one of my super, super low moments, I often find things to do to distract me like go on YouTube to watch car crash compilations or first amendment auditors, really weird abstract things. Eventually I know I have to embrace acceptance of where I am and that what I’m feeling is important. I try to give myself the time to feel it without rushing it or bottling it up inside. I look at what’s making me feel that way and then do my best to heal through it. I might create space in my own room to be in that depressed state for as long as needed and when I’m truly ready, I come out.
I believe it’s important to take the time to go through these things and not let them destroy you. It’s ok to be going through these moments and take some time for yourself. I remind myself that, you know what, this is where we are at the moment, and it will pass. Whatever it is, whether it’s work stressing you out or a relationship kind of thing, personal issues, family or whatever, give yourself the time to go through it, breathe through it and live through it. Just slow down. Stop rushing through pain. We have to process the difficult times otherwise they pile up and that’s dangerous. If you have one or two people you trust that you can speak to about whatever is bothering you that helps as well. It eases the pressure a bit. Let people know you’re struggling and allow them to support you.
What have you struggled with the most and what kind of steps have you taken to find solutions to those issues on your journey either as an artist or a model? What has been the main challenge do you think? I struggle with a lot of things like everyone else. Because we are human and no one is perfect. No one can do everything all of the time. One of my greatest struggles is wishing I could duplicate myself (laughs out). Yeah I wish there was like six of me to do everything rather than doing all the work myself, be able to delegate to the duplicated versions of me so I can just take a nap, you know (laughing). Listen, we are out here trying to survive! We take on all the work that comes our way so we don’t lose opportunities. You never know when they will stop coming. But here is the thing: I feel like, at my age, I have a lot of energy and always feel like I can do it all. I realise it’s physically impossible because it’s draining, exhausting and takes a toll on every aspect of my well-being. Then there is the guilt factor that threatens to mess with your head. I feel guilty because I can’t take it all on or I take so much on and end up being physically unable to meet the deadlines that I feel guilty for that. It’s a challenge and a struggle.
Another thing I struggled with was comparing myself to others; expecting too much success too soon. I’d compare myself to others who seemed to be further along in their career and beat myself up for where I was, question my worth, pushing myself to work harder, get more opportunities, etc. I would run a dialogue in my head, which was counter-productive to success.
If I could go back to that time, I would happily wait for success in my thirties because I would be mentally ready for it and appreciate the journey that got me there, you know. I hate the sort of over-glamorisation of ‘The Young Artist’. I feel it shouldn’t be about the age at which you achieve it. That shouldn’t be a marker of success. You should be appreciated and celebrated for the work because you’ve worked for it! I believe everyone’s path is different and none of us have the same time lines or time frames. You never know when it will happen for someone so over glamorising age is a terrible thing which puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on people, especially the young.
Have you suffered any mental health issues on your journey and would you be willing to share with us? Yeah I have. I have struggled with depression and anxiety and I still have days where I struggle. I believe everyday is a battle in itself but as I said before it helps if I take the time for myself. If I am feeling really, really low, I make sure I do things that I am going to have a good time doing and enjoying. I don’t indulge in bad habits or create coping mechanisms like smoking, drinking or doing any kind of recreational drugs so it might just be me taking myself to the cinema every single day for five days straight and watch everything they have showing. I try to find ways to uplift myself by either going for a walk for a few hours or I don’t answer my phone for a few days. I try to take time for myself and surround myself with amazingly positive people that might be able to help me in that moment. If they can’t, I take a break. And I handle my anxiety by confronting the things that trigger it. I like to talk about it with people because, in doing that, I can get past it. It can be talking about it in small ways and then working my way up to talking about it in bigger ways. Am still on that journey though.
Trust me we all are on that journey. Who would you say inspires you on your creative journey and why? Actually, it’s necessary to be my own inspiration because I’m my toughest critic and I have a part of me that helps me to stay balanced and pushes me to do what I need to do. We all might be here together but we are individuals as well on completely different paths and journeys so we have to find the motivation within ourselves to push and go on. Individually we all have to be our own greatest fan, our biggest inspiration or hero. In that way you are not let down or disappointed by anyone. Everyone else is on their own journey, struggling with their own challenges and facing their own trials. They can’t be everything to anyone else. For instance, I have a lot of love, admiration and respect for Kanye West but he might disappoint me because he is human and he has his own issues and challenges that he faces. So I know I can rely only on myself to push myself because I know myself more than I can ever know anyone else deeply.
What do you love and enjoy about being a creative person and why? My time is my own. I don’t have the restrictions of a typical 9-5 job. I can travel and work from anywhere. I get to create whatever I want and express myself in a life-giving way. I can live in a personally satisfying way and structure my life to work for me as an individual. I don’t have to serve others in my work but am able to be independent and determine my own worth. Hopefully others appreciate and want to buy the work I create but the most important thing is to do it first and foremost because I must! I can set my own prices and charge what I’m worth without guilt. I can be transparent, express anger, joy, sadness and elation. It is beautiful to channel all of this into your work, whatever the medium, and to help others escape their reality or sit more comfortably in it.
What would you say are the most important aspects of your art and why are they so important to you? For me it’s keeping things honest and simple. Stick with what you know and don’t insert yourself into situations you have no knowledge of. This keeps the work grounded and focuses people on what they can relate to and identify with.
What kind of lessons would you say you have learnt on this journey that you would like others to know? If I were speaking to a younger version of myself, it would be to try out as many things as possible. Another big lesson I have learnt is that your voice and your experience matters. Your voice can be heard through the things you make or create. For instance, I recently finished a mural, which I titled, ‘Acceptance’ and a friend asked me to explain the art. I wondered if I should explain it but decided it speaks for itself so acceptance was a fitting title. When you look at the art it speaks and tells you what it needs to say. That’s the beauty and power of what I do. It has a voice that is powerful and reaches people worldwide. Your voice really does matter so when you feel like you’re not smart enough remember that you are and the things you make or do are contributing to the art space and speak volumes. You are valued in whatever space you find yourself in and can contribute to it. Everyone’s voice matters so just use your voice.
What advice would you give anyone interested in pursuing art or modelling? Believe in yourself. Modelling is a career where you surrender your identity to be a part of something else, so try not to take things too personally when it doesn’t go to your expectations. Be fluid and be open to the industry for what it is but remain 100% unapologetically yourself and that way you know that you can never betray yourself. I have never felt uncomfortable being within the industry, wearing the things that have been asked of me or doing anything because I have always remained myself and true to me. I refuse to allow the industry change me or turn me into someone I am not. I know who I am walking into these spaces and they can’t alter my persona or who I am. And I advise people to be aware going into these spaces. Don’t betray yourself, be yourself.
Do you have a favourite quote that you live by? Yeah absolutely. It’s something that my dad used to tell me, “Now, not tomorrow”.
Amazing! Thank you for your time and sharing your journey with us. We appreciate you so much. My pleasure
By Emma Witter & Will Bunce