SLO LIFE JunJul 2021

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| ARTIST PROFILE Abbey Onikoyi N BY JEFF AL-MASHAT There are a number of variations on this quote, but Jerry Garcia’s style of playing music has been described as “never wasting a note.” As has also been said about Garcia, “every note had a purpose.” If there is a painter whose work is akin to that concept, it’s the Central Coast’s Abbey Onikoyi. Every brushstroke seems exciting. It is electrifying to look at his work, because there is so much to experience as you move your eyes around the canvas. Movement seems to define Onikoyi’s life, whether physical, spiritual, or geographical, and his paintings reflect that principle. The Los Osos-based painter began life’s journey in Nigeria, where he was one of 18 children. From there, he moved to Newbury, England, where he spent his boyhood, while his father worked in advertising. Eventually, Abbey moved to the United States to pursue further education. In Chicago, where, like his dad, he pursued a career in advertising, working for industry giants like Ogilvy and BBDO. Then he was on to Hawaii, where he gave up many of the creature comforts he had become used to as an advertising executive to dedicate himself to his art full-time. While living in a tent in a friend’s backyard, he would often paint through the night and sleep during the day. Full time painting led him to Big Sur’s Esalen Institute, where he taught about drawing, painting and culture. It was also an opportunity to further develop his painting style and process, which starts with music, dancing and splattering paint across the canvas: “From there, I seek to find out what is there.” Oftentimes, it is family or friends, people who have inspired him, or spirits he has a connection to. Onikoyi never sketches anything out in advance. Once he begins a piece, his eyes move throughout the work connecting colors and shapes--but the figures that emerge never look back. All of the eyes of Onikoyi’s subjects are closed. “I realized that I didn’t like eyes looking back at me,” he says. “When the eyes are open, the viewer focuses on those eyes. Having them shut allows people to look deeper into the painting.” Onikoyi says that he wants people to experience the spirituality in the paintings and shape their own journey. While he admits it is hard for him to stay in one place, he feels at home in Los Osos. Advertising film shoots had brought him to San Francisco and Los Angeles earlier in life. He fell in love with the California vibe, the land, and the climate. But it wasn’t until living in Big Sur that he traveled down the coast to San Luis Obispo and couldn’t believe there was a place like it on earth. SLO LIFE JEFF AL-MASHAT is a writer and visual artist with an MFA in painting from Georgia State University. He lives in Grover Beach. 40 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL 2021
ADVENTURE, PASSION JUN/JUL 2014 & POLITICAL ACTION Dr. Arnie Horwitz HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS Are you feeling overwhelmed and confused? I can help. Specializing in - Relationship Conflicts - Parenting & Self-Esteem - Separation and Divorce - Personal Life Planning - Grief and Loss - Career Uncertainty Therapy/Counseling/Coaching Dr. Arnie Horwitz • 30 yrs. Experience 805-541-2752 www.doctorarnie.com live the SLO LIFE! SLO LIFE SWINGING FOR THE FENCES ON THE RISE HEALTH WORDS TO LIVE BY BEHIND THE SCENES m a g a z i n e HEATING UP SUMMER OUTDOOR LIVING AFTER HOURS NOW HEAR THIS MEET BILL OSTRANDER SUBSCRIBE TODAY! slolifemagazine.com JUN/JUL 2021 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | 41
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SLO LIFE JunJul 2021

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