Ekene Ngige: How Coffee Can Turn Into Art
Ekene Ngige has been creating art pieces for years. But one accident has changed his artistic life significantly. Meet Ekene Ngige and hear his story on how coffee can turn into more than a drink.
When Passion Drives a Person
Ekene Ngige is a Nigerian artist who has been devoted to art since he was a kid. There isn’t much information about his biography and parents. Born in Lagos in the late 80s, he is currently 39 years old.
The Internet also reveals that he studied Fine Arts at Yaba College of Technology and dealt with many graphic design assignments that taught him how to create acrylic, watercolor, and oil paintings. That’s all you can find, but Ngige prefers to keep it that way. He doesn’t like fame or any other unnecessary attention. What matters most to him is the messages he delivers through his pieces.
An Accident that Predetermined the Future Call of Art
Like many people, Ngige considered coffee as a fuel for creativity. Drinking caffeinated beverages (for the record, he prefers cappuccino and espresso) helped him get through the day. But one day, he spilled his coffee in a local cafe. And before he rushed for the napkin and wiped off the notepad, he experienced an epiphany. The first thing to come into his head was, “Isn’t that a good source of creativity?”
He doesn’t even remember how he ended up in his studio, holding a jar of instant coffee and mixing it with water, creating a substance resembling a jelly in consistency. At first, he wasn’t happy with the results. But once he drew up a sketch using a pencil, he layered it with that mixed coffee, and the outcome was groundbreaking.
Seven years after that accident, Ngige has still been using coffee to create masterpieces. And he certainly doesn’t plan to stop. On the contrary, Ngige aspires to launch worldwide exhibitions to prove that simple materials can depict tormenting troubles that people often eschew.
Pieces Ngige is Proud Of
Asking Ngige about his most remarkable pieces shows his ambition. He says he is equally invested in every work and loves every piece. Of course–he chuckles—several works make him feel special. One of his favorites is a series called “A Cup of Truce.” As he points out, Africa has long been in turmoil. Although initially peaceful, the continent has faced terrorism, racism, child abuse, and racial inequality. “A Cup of Truce” addresses the mentioned problems and shows different victims, from mature people to adults and little children.
Apart from that, Ekene Ngige highlights his second work, “The Coffee Break.” On canvas, there is a remade and modified “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci. But instead of Jesus and his apostles, the painting illustrates the Queen Elizabeth II of England hosting other world leaders, like the President of the United States, the Prime Minister of Israel, and others.
Inspired by the latter legendary work, Ngige adjusted the painting to today’s problems of inequality and that the fate of billions of people is in the hands of a small cohort of individuals. “This moment of peace, over a cup of coffee, intends to put an end to any conflicts that result in people’s suffering. We must remember to tolerate everyone, regardless of their color, gender, and religion. After all, deeds determine what a person is,” concludes Ekene Ngige.
Finite Sources of Motivation
Listening to Ngige and his life story, it’s eye-opening to realize how he finds motivation to keep creating. As a young child, he suffered from polio, something that still really impacts him. But thanks to the community he was raised in, he got a helping hand every time he needed it, and Ngige overcame the disease. “My parents wanted me to become a doctor because they feared the ailment could return. They were scared; I understand. But the reason I haven’t become a doctor is that I’d dreamed of being an artist,” Ngige says.
Ngige gets multiple direct messages on his Instagram page. “It is truly encouraging to wake up in the morning and see ‘Thank you for your art’ messages. I know it may not change the world entirely, but as long as everyone does something meaningful, we are in the right direction,” adds Ngige.
Finally, it is God who also helps Ekene Ngige to do what he loves doing. “I am thankful to God for bringing me where I am today. I know that with my faith in him and myself, I will achieve everything I plan to in my life,” declares Ngige. “I address this message to everyone who thinks there is a barrier that holds you and pushes you away. Try to remind yourself of what makes you blissfully happy and believe in God. You will succeed in what you are doing,” says the artist.
