Yusuf Seidu Okus
Yusuf Seidu Okus is an experimental artist, employing various materials in his creative exploration, born in Sapele, Nigeria. Exhibiting his natural talent by drawing and painting on virtually any available surface he came across, including making sand sculptures and paper mache in his budding stage of development Immidiately he finished from secondary school, he taught fine art briefly at International School Sapele in 1991 before proceeding to obtain his National and Higher National Diploma in General Arts and Painting in 1994 and 1997 respectively. He took up appointment in 2005 - 2023 at the rehabilitation/Occupational Therapy Unit of the Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital Benin City, employing art and crafts as an expressive /vocational tool and a healing mechanism in patients recovery / management process, his creative practice in experimental exploration got heightened in mental health advocacy, empathizing with these set of individuals who are in most cases greatly stigmatized. Environmental sustainability (Recycling and upcycling) is another area of his interest, seeing the relationship of abandonment in both, focusing in making art out of the huge deposit of colorful plastic wastes littering our environment.
In his migration experiences, he again draws inspiration first hand being in the United Kingdom currently, ordeal of Asylum seekers, refugee and migrants waiting to have full integration and a life of their own with a clause " NO RIGHT TO WORK".
Through ININNI, the sister body of CARAG (Coventry Asylum and Refugee Action Group), he has also been involved in a season of creative workshops " Afro Futurism" at the Warwick University Art Centre, he has equally been a facilitator with Arty-Folks, Herbert Museum and Gallery impacting his commmunity with skills in Aluminum metal foil, plastic upcycling and more..
Contacts :
Email : yusufseidu@yahoo.com
Instagram : @yusuf_seidu_okus
Facebook : yusuf seidu Okus