Joseph Tete: A Fine Artist That You Need To Know.
Joseph Tete, a Fine artist, was spotted by Neighborhood Magazine and an exclusive interview was arranged.
Joseph Tete is popularly known as Al Pacino among his friends. He is from Gboko Local Government Area, Benue state. His higher education was in the field of Fine and Applied Arts at the College of Education College of Education, Katsina-Ala, in Benue state. Enjoy our conversation with him.
What inspired you to become an artist?
Nothing in particular I would say. When I was very young, I found myself picking up scraps and using them to create things like cars, bicycles and other stuffs. With constant practice and continuous creation of things, it made me Master Art. As I grew up, I discovered I found myself to be so immersed in Arts – I was creating a lot of things out of scraps and sticks. I used to make local bicycles with sticks.
What do you enjoy most about being an artist?
Really I enjoy drawing, I always carry my sketch pad around. I am always practicing, Art is a skill that leaves you if you abandon it. So, due to that, I am always practicing very frequently so that it will not go away from me.
What was your earliest art creation and when was that?
I was surprised at my earliest creation – I made a wood bending machine. I was amazed because I saw it once on a book and I went ahead to create it. I was 12 years old at the time. I made couple of mistakes at that time, but that was the beginning of my creativity.
What is special or unique about your work?
I love giving details to my work. I am particular about details. I am trying to get that aspect of realism in art. Where my work will look almost like that of a digital work. I love giving details to my work.
What motivates you?
Presently, right now, money motivates me. When I get paid am highly motivated. Am working on arts now for money. Art earns me money. Right now I go about selling my works on the street. Money motivates me now.
How do you come about names you give to your creations?
I am a creator and a creator should know what name it should give to whatever he/she is creating. This is because, he has thought about it, conceived in his mind before coming out with it practically. God created man and came up with a name for man. Sometimes, I come up with something crazy; I may name it due to the way it was positioned. For example, I did an abstract work of a woman carrying calabash on her head and hand, coming from the stream. This is to show “man power” in a woman. I also did another abstract work portraying a woman trying to play a drum. You know it is not a common thing to see women playing the drum; this is to show that “what a man can do a woman can do better”. Now you can see how the name is already forming. The circumstances surrounding the work is what I use in giving it name and life.
Do you always begin with a concept in mind or do you sometimes just paint?
Well, I am just full of abstract skills, sometimes I just draw and sometimes I look around my environment to draw whatever inspires me.
What are the important things for you to have in your creative space?
I can’t do away with my brushes and I can’t do away with my acrylics. I can’t even think of improvising if this two are not available because the beauty of the work will not come out.
Do you collect art yourself?
Yes, I collect carving works from someone that does it very well in details. I do that because, I can’t do them. Also, if I come across any beautiful art work that is really that good, I can buy it. Once it is that good.
What are the few challenges about being an artist?
For me patronage is the key thing. The way I want people to patronize me, it is not forth coming. I create beautiful art works and it is supposed to earn me money. And that is why I need patronage. When there is no patronage, I run out of money. So for me patronage is the key thing. Also, cost of materials are now very high. This pandemic has pushed up prices of every thing.
