Magzoid Magazine - Luxury Magazine in the Creative Space | June 2023

Hyperrealistic depictions of struggle, peace,
freedom, and happiness
“My environment inspires me every time. Seeing the daily activities of people in the
society, the hustling and bustling, the good and the bad, the daily struggles of an average
Nigerian, and people in general. The works of some great artists also inspire me, painters
and sculptors within and outside the country. But most importantly, my environment is
my greatest source of inspiration.” – Says, Silas.
- Exclusive to Magzoid
Silas Onoja is a Nigerian contemporary
artist born in Makurdi, Benue State,
Nigeria. He grew up as a kid who
loves drawing with so much passion
for the arts, and so, he went on to study Fine
Art at the Benue State Polytechnic, Benue,
Nigeria. His forte is creating realistic and lifelike
paintings, which attract emotions and attention,
and some of his paintings have been exhibited
around the world.
Silas Onoja depicts Nigerians in different
forms. A man smiling on the street, a child
having a bath or a swim. His work transports
you to that moment immediately, the same
way a good book does. When you look at
Silas Onoja’s art, you are reminded of simple
moments that made you happy.
His medium of painting is oil on canvas and
he is more interested in hyperrealism. Which
is why his paintings are hyper-realistic.
Each of Silas’ pieces not only tell a story, but
also evoke emotion. It makes you think and ask
“There are so many hyperrealism
artists in Nigeria who use different
mediums like pencils, pyrography,
and sculpting, amongst others – I
choose to use oil on canvas as my
medium. Very few Nigerians use it.
Also, I use oil on canvas because it’s
time-consuming and challenging.
I enjoy good challenges.” – says,
Silas.
yourself a thousand questions about the meaning
of freedom and the notion of enslavement in our
society. He portrays struggle, peace, freedom,
and happiness through his painting.
-feature@magzoid.com
www.magzoid.com June 2023
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