The skilled painter shed light on the behind-the-scenes of her artistic process

This year marks the fifth consecutive year of The Betty Jean and Wayne Thiebaud Endowed Lecture. The lecture, put together by The Department of Art and Art History and the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, invites acclaimed artists to offer their knowledge to the UC Davis community. 

The occasion this year, which took place on Nov. 12, was special in many ways. First, the featured artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby, had to deliver her lecture over Zoom. Second, it was also a celebration of acclaimed UC Davis alumni and lecture sponsor Wayne Thiebaud’s centennial! And like any birthday that happened in the last nine months, it wasn’t complete without a ten minute compilation video of everyone you know wishing you happy birthday. After a warm celebration and welcoming, Akunyili Crosby began discussing her work.

She called in from her studio in Los Angeles. Her Zoom background displayed the white walls behind her, filled with paintings in progress and various supplies. She first explained she was born in Enugu, Nigeria, spending her adolescence between her ancestral village and Lagos. She moved to the U.S. at the age of 16 and later went on to study painting at multiple institutions. Akunyili Crosby spoke of how this plays into her personhood and art, how she values her dual identities and the ways they intersect. She explained her perspective as “always experiencing life through a Nigerian lens” and emphasized that “the Nigeria part and America part sit side by side.”

Akunyili Croby continued her presentation with a brief history of Nigeria, clarifying that understanding the past is needed to understand her art. She scrolled through various images. All of them subtly depicted Britain’s colonial rule over Nigeria, featuring clothes and traditions adapted from Britain. Though Nigeria became independent in 1960, the remains of colonial rule linger. 

“The things they brought with don’t vanish. Leftover British presence, you can see in our culture,” she said. This adaptation is a driving force for Akunyili Croby. “200 tribes, British presence, and American pop culture weave together to build something new. This is what I’m trying to put my hand on.” 

In addition to change and adaptation in Nigeria as a country, she also talked about looking closer and noting the difference in it’s people. More specifically, generationally. She said that she liked mapping the changes in the country throughout her family’s different perspectives, stating “Tradition gets more complex with each subsequent generation.” She used fashion, language and opinion as evidence of this change. “Tradition is not static. It is something that is always shifting, changing and reinventing itself.”

As soon as she displayed her first painting, everyone could feel how personal her work is. The work she showed was Nwantinti, a piece she did in 2012. The effect of looking at one of her paintings for the first time is overwhelming. The eye is instantly captured by the incredible detail in the painting and the bold colors. When looking closer, individuals realize the dimension has a source. Akunyili Crosby’s paintings are all done on paper, normally seven-by-seven and are a mix of paint, photo transfer and collage. Individuals can zoom in to see much of the piece is made up of various small images. This detail makes her paintings compelling. The longer individuals look at them, the more interesting they get.

The audience can tell the images have been carefully chosen. A good work to emulate this is Predecessors, 2013. She walked the audience through painting, explaining “This is really an ode to Nigerian women doing amazing things I admire.” She can pick out each image and explain why she chose it and where it came from, giving the painting infinite layers and stories to tell. She briefly explained her process of acquiring the pictures. She has been collecting them since 2009 on an external hard drive she lovingly referred to as “an extension of my arm.” The process takes a long time; the image must resonate with her to be included.

She explained she is driven by “duality in work” and aims to present her pieces with various pockets of detail. This is evident. It is obvious her painting skills are masterful, but it is the contrast of the detailed areas and the purposefully simplified techniques that complete the composition. She wants to “create space that doesn’t fit in one box” and does it perfectly.

Despite slight technical difficulties, Njideka Akunyili Crosby delivered an impressive, engrossing lecture. Her work renders people speechless and descriptions of her work add layers beyond comprehension. Her paintings are an amalgamation of a person, each piece solidifying a lifetime of memories and meaning. 

Check out https://arts.ucdavis.edu/art-studio-events for future events.
Written by: Livvy Mullen — arts@theaggie.org

What do lies, murder, betrayal and famous politicians all have in common—Among Us

Lies, deceit, betrayal and the age-old question of “how to get away with murder” are all explored in the widely popular and addictive online game “Among Us.”

If you ever wanted to experience a murder-mystery in a fossil-fuel-powered alien spaceship or take the feeling of “imposter syndrome” to the next level, try playing one of 2020’s most talked-about games. 

In this multiplayer mobile and PC game, a group of ten players called “crewmates” are transported onto a spaceship where they have to complete tasks, survive murder attempts by an “imposter” who is another player posing as crewmate and identify the killer among them. 

The goal of crewmates is to complete all the tasks before the imposter murders a majority of them. The goal of the imposter is to kill as many of the crewmates as possible, all the while trying to prevent their identity from being uncovered. Crewmates report the deaths of murdered players and hold court to determine the identity of the killer and cast a plurality vote, which determines who gets ejected from the ship.

Players can choose to host their own local games or join online matches in which they are assigned an avatar in one of the 12 colors that can be customized with an assortment of 40-some hats.

“Among Us” was initially released on June 15, 2018 by the indie app developer InnerSloth, but didn’t reach its shocking fame and popularity until 2020—a consequence of COVID-19. Digital platforms and cellphone apps have seen a huge spike in their activity as people are spending more time inside their homes on the internet and less time out and about.

It is the 7th-most played game in July, August and September of 2020, and has been downloaded over 217 million times. 

When asked about the most appealing part of the game, Melody Shiau, a second-year biological sciences major said she liked its convenience. 

“I like the game ‘Among Us!’” Shiau said. “It’s a super convenient game especially during this pandemic because all you need is a code to play with all your friends. I probably play it once or twice a month.”

Malika Haji, a second-year managerial economics major, plays it with friends, family and strangers. 

“I feel like ‘Among Us’ became popular overnight… but I’m glad it did,” Haji said. “I love playing the game with my friends and with randoms online. Even my family members love it so much that we have a separate group chat dedicated to playing ‘Among Us’ together. I love it!”

“Among Us” has become ingrained into Generation Z’s culture in such a way that phrases such as “yellow is sus,” “purple vented” or “skip vote” are part of our daily vernacular. 

It is more than just a way for high school and college students to interact in a socially distant world. It has become a platform that can be used to capture the attention of the younger generation. 

This was the tactic used by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), the U.S. Representative for New York’s 14th congressional district. AOC, as she is referred to by her supporters, tweeted on Oct. 19, “Anyone want to play Among Us with me on Twitch to get out the vote?”

And just like that, on Oct. 21, AOC hosted a Twitch stream which included Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota’s 5th congressional district and famous streamers such as Pokimane, Disguised Toast and HasanAbi, a political commentator and one of the event’s organizers. 

In the 3 ½ hour Twitch stream, the Congresswomen attempted a hilarious and entertaining go at being both a crewmate and imposter. But more importantly, during their many “Among Us” matches, the Congresswomen attempted to energize the 444,000 viewers watching live to make a solid plan to vote. 

Ocasio-Cortez directed viewers to websites such as IWillVote.com, which aims to help voters create voting plans. Not only that, but Ocasio-Cortez’s “Among Us” stream was the third most watched livestream in all of Twitch’s history and has garnered an overall 5.4 million views.

Haji watched clips of the stream on Twitter.

 “I thought it was pretty cool actually for her to stream herself playing ‘Among Us,’” Haji said. “It’s refreshing to see politicians in a more fun and light-hearted manner instead of always seeing them behind podiums and on the news.” 

Tahla Bahnasy, a second-year cognitive science major and tech management minor also watched Ocasio-Cortez’s Twitch stream and commented on the tactic of politicians using popular platforms as a way to get the vote out. 

“I thought it was pretty fun watching her play,” Bahnasy said. “I think it’s great that politicians are using games to appeal to younger voters because a lot of the time voters our age feel like politics is so separated from their lives that it doesn’t even matter if they participate. But playing and streaming a game like this makes them so much more personable and relatable.”

It is not certain how many people felt energized to vote following Ocasio-Cortez’s “Among Us” stream, but given that the average person who uses Twitch is 21, the Congresswoman knew exactly what she was doing—succinctly capturing a large voting-eligible audience and galvanizing them to vote on their turf. 

At the end of the day, “Among Us” is synonymous to a group project—a few people do all the work and someone always sabotages the game plan. But for politicians or activists, it can be an invaluable platform for access to a treasure-trove of eligible voters who can be invigorated to vote. 

Written by: Muhammad Tariq — arts@theaggie.org

Kathleen David’s advice to aspiring artists and Redbubble sellers is to trust their art

It’s a rite of passage for most UC Davis students to own a Hydro Flask and slap stickers on their cup. I remember very clearly my first year at Davis when I asked a girl where her stickers were from and exploded when I saw the wide variety on Redbubble. That day, I along with my roommates, who were just as surprised, ordered stickers and a laptop case. Redbubble has a special place in every student’s heart so I set out to find a student who is behind some of the UC Davis stickers we have pasted on our computers.

Kathleen David, a second-year biological sciences major, found that the best way to sell her art was through a Redbubble shop, kathdvd, where she can sit back and focus on school work, all while building up a passive income. 

“The great thing about Redbubble is that all artists have to do is upload their art,” David said via email. “There is no need to stress about financing, marketing, production, shipping and everything else involved in a typical business like one on Etsy. Sales come in every now and then—sometimes during times where I’m busy with school—so when they do pop up, I don’t have to worry about anything.”

In addition to David’s egghead stickers that represent our beloved sculptures, she has a total of 79 different designs. 

“My shop is all over the place in terms of a niche,” David said via email. “I’d like to think that my designs revolve around the things I enjoy most such as animals, music, gaming, and Netflix shows. I’m focused on expanding my shop. I feel that I can build my shop as if it were an art portfolio and eventually find my true aesthetic as an artist.”

The only thing needed to sell art on Redbubble is a free account and a bank account for direct deposit, but the account can be accepted in multiple ways including Paypal. According to Redbubble, payments occur on the 15th of every month but creators won’t receive any money until they reach a payment threshold of $20. 

“I was absolutely ecstatic when I woke up to find that I got my first sale,” David said via email. “There was something so satisfying in seeing that all my hard work had finally paid off.”

After artists upload their design, Redbubble creates an abundance of merchandise. This includes stickers, art prints, tote bags and even bed sheets. Redbubble created a post on what to think about before uploading a design in order to maximize all of the products on which they print the art.

“I recently just had a couple of sales that made me laugh only because you can never tell what someone might be interested in buying,” David said via email. “On that same day, two different people from two different states bought bedsheets of two different designs, both of which I never expected anyone to purchase. It’s kind of unreal to know that someone is out there sleeping with bedsheets of a design I doubted.”

Buyers from all over the country appreciate David’s unique designs just as much as UC Davis students love finding their egghead stickers.

“I had only found out about Kathleen’s shop a few months ago through a Phoenix Suns subreddit post she had made to display her artwork and I reached out willing to purchase it,” said Alex Thompson, a customer of David’s Redbubble shop. “Looking at the website now, it has grown quite nicely and I like how there are products for everybody with her many collections.”

David’s best selling products are based off of a role-playing video game where players enter a farming stimulation and restore a shambled community center.

“As an artist, I’ve been discovering new art styles while trying to find one for myself,” David said via email. “On Redbubble, the most successful shops have a niche that caters to a specific audience. While in quarantine, I began to play a popular video game called ‘Stardew Valley.’ After a few days of playing while putting my shop on hold, I realized that this game has a lot of potential for attracting a huge audience. I used my laptop to download sprite sheets of the characters from the game and got to creating what is now my best-selling collection.”

With over 70 designs in her shop, David is able to see the development of her work overtime. But her love for art started as a young child doodling on random pieces of paper. 

“I have never taken an art class to develop my techniques,” David said via email. “My mom has kept an album full of my doodles dating back to when I was only three years old. Throughout middle school and high school, I joined an annual drawing contest hosted by Kaiser Permanente’s anti-smoking program called ‘Don’t Buy The Lie’ and won as a school-site winner every time.”

David’s idea of opening up a Redbubble shop—which takes less than five minutes—started with a Youtube video. 

“I wanted to test out the Youtube video’s claim of passive income so I only uploaded a couple of designs,” David said via email. “I doubted myself the first few days of uploading my art on Redbubble and often questioned myself if my art wasn’t good enough. When I got my first sale, that’s when I felt motivated enough to upload a few more. I remember thinking to myself, ‘Oh wow, I just started up a small business.’”

Opening up a Redbubble shop meant David had to try new things with her artwork. 

“I’ve never really had the time to experiment with digital art before starting my Redbubble business,” David said via email. “It was more of a learning experience to somehow convert my usual techniques onto the digital format. I don’t use anything fancy. I only use Paint 3D, a digital art program that came with my HP laptop.”

Like many small student business owners, David’s biggest supporter is her mother who has been an advocate for David’s art long before her first sale. 

“My mom has supported me ever since the day I told her about uploading my first design on Redbubble,” David said via email. “We would celebrate every time I got a sale and check where the sale is coming from and what item/design the person has purchased.”

As she gets to track each purchase, David admits that like her mom, her family and friends have been immensely supportive of her art selling on Redbubble. 

“When my sales started to shoot up, my family was very supportive and persistent in buying my designs to wear in public,” David said via email. “My aunt bought three designs of mine on t-shirts, and my dad specifically asked for an NBA design that he wears around the house.” 

David’s Redbubble is organized to include the different types of art she sells. Her featured products include monochrome and animal designs. The small store consists of something for everyone, but her main source of inspiration comes from Andy Warhol, the American artist, film director and producer. Warhol even has a museum in Pennsylvania dedicated to him and the work he did throughout his career.  

“I look up to Andy Warhol and his concept of pop art,” David said via email. “My monochrome designs are inspired by his iconic colorful prints of celebrities, including Marilyn Monroe and Mohammed Ali. I’ve done a similar approach that focuses on one color scheme per celebrity. I’ve illustrated several members of the world’s biggest boyband BTS and the actors from the Netflix series ‘The Umbrella Academy’ using very vibrant colors as Warhol once did.”

David’s advice for aspiring artists and Redbubble sellers is to trust their art. David’s own sales have led her to realize that there will be someone out there that could potentially love the art you doubt.

  “If you have an idea about something, you shouldn’t doubt yourself, but you should go for it instead,” David said via email. “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” 
Written By: Itzelth Gamboa — arts@theaggie.org