Today we’d like to introduce you to Gideon Egbuchulam.
Hi Gideon, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Unlike the last son of Krypton, my origin story was less explosive but began in Eastside San Jose. A black kid glued to every cartoon imaginable on Toonami, surrounded by his drawings on a rainy Saturday morning. It was on days like this, where I first started to dream. Soon after 9/11, my family decided to move to the central valley, trading our tiny apartment for suburban life. My mother, now a single parent, had the difficult task of raising four children.
It was this new dynamic that made me want to revisit those rainy days. However, inside my sketchbooks, I could be anywhere, anyplace. High School was unremarkable. I was an uninterested student who just wanted to be left alone. But inside those brightly lit art classes was an invitation to explore outside the typical curriculum. Arguably the first time I felt slightly free before the ring of the bell. Although, outside the locker rooms, the train tracks also made for a sizable canvas! Returning to San Jose, my exploration would continue with Algorythm Comics . A startup I founded with a close-knit of college friends. In our comic-con appearances, we pitched Quasar Soldiers, a graphic novel that centers on my Nigerian heritage. All under a silver age backdrop. With its main plot being an allegory on the cost of war. It was a creative gamble, which led to many (many) lessons and exciting opportunities. It is here that I found friendship with acclaimed book author Sabaa Tahir and Tochi Onyebuchi, who have provided invaluable mentorship; as I pace ahead as a full-time illustrator.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Personally, depression was a recurring obstacle. Art, something that brings me fulfillment, became a formidable effort. But as I matured and became more self-aware, I found the right individuals to hold space with. However, infuriating events such as George Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s murders have made me reevaluate my work more critically while finding effective ways to represent my community. Creatively, I’m grateful I can exorcise my catharsis into my characters. As I know, not everyone has that luxury. A more obvious example is Quasar Soldiers, where the protagonist, Kytt, is haunted by the loss of her friends while finding a new beginning in the face of a child soldier named Pilate. Their obstacles parallel some of my most candid setbacks.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am best known for my illustrations, sequential arts, and animations while being an active art teacher in the Bay Area. Which I find rewarding, as I prepare young people for the real world. Most of my work starts traditionally on paper or canvas in rare cases. Inks, watercolor, gouache, and acrylics make for fun situations. That allows me to grapple with my western (anime) style, leaving me the option to optimize pieces straight to my iPad or PC for additional elements when working with clients. Apart from the artists I follow, such as Freddy Carrasco, Jack Kirby, Hirohiko Araki, and Hayao Miyazaki. I find my work quite niche. I’m obsessed with capturing the human condition, where women are often the acolytes of my study. Purely for their beauty and challenging construction. A frequent comment I hear is how well I show believable emotions. I think this is most apparent in my comics. Which I am always happy to hear. Yet the tone of my work shifted, as we all observed the robbery of black lives last summer. My good friend Yosef Gebre and I came up with Shape Da FutuR. Our “manifesto for social change” through the lens of fashion and design. Together we curated an afro-futurist site that carried our tees and posters with all proceeds going towards Black and QTBIPOC grassroots. The collaboration was well received and raised 1500 USD thus far. Of course, none would be possible without the support of my community and friends who stood behind us. Today, Yosef and I are in discussion for our next multimedia project. We hope to share more later in the year!
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
There is a sense of responsibility that I hold with my art. Following the year we’ve all had, this question is what I’ve asked myself the most. What matters to me is love. Society is so bent. We’re unable to see the strength in our differences. Instead, we give fear a fighting chance whenever we can. And that’s not good enough for me. I want to play a role that makes people feel beautiful and desired. To entertain while elevating the 2D medium in which I practice and ultimately visualizing a future with others on the same mission.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.shapedafutur.com
- Instagram: @ivorycurlz
- Other: https://ivorycurlz.artstation.com/
Image Credits
Headshot & Shape Da FutuR Promotional Image by Miles Caliboso , IG: @mlmc.tmp Shape Da FutuR Image: Female Model: Kema W Tesfai , IG: @aye_bay_baee Male Model: Justyce Key, IG: @justycekey Stylist: Milan Joseph , IG: @ponii.boyy Working space Images by Cleve Brown , IG: @clevebrowniiimedia
