Artist Obi Soulstar In His Moment of Yes

Obi Soulstar, born Obi Uwakwe, is an artist, photographer, musician, and owner of the Electriqsoul Hideout Studios art gallery at 216 S. Jefferson St. Uwakwe has been frequently referred to as the “SoulRockinRolla,” the minister of “AFROROCK RELIGION,” and a “Renaissance Man.” 

Uwakwe, whose name means “heart of the father,” spent his early childhood on the South Side. However, at the age of five, his father made the decision to move the family to their native Nigeria. While living with his family in West Africa, Uwakwe experienced a multitude of experiences that seemingly shaped his resilience, such as joining the Nigerian military. It was also during those years that his artistic talent began to take bloom.

Uwakwe moved back to Chicago at the age of eighteen and his young life was marked by new challenges. Initially, he juggled multiple jobs to make ends meet and leaned on the kindness of family and friends for support and temporary housing.

Eventually, his efforts paid off, and Uwakwe began to gain exposure and recognition for his unique designs that were infused with elements of his Nigerian upbringing. The influence of his life there is found in the vibrant colors characteristic of his style, the subliminal messages in his designs, and his use of styrofoam to make his artwork, which he learned to create with as a child.  

Uwakwe’s artistic journey continued to unfold throughout the years as if it had been pre-ordained. In 2023, he exhibited at the Bridgeport Art Center and, most recently, four of Uwakwe’s works were on display at the Sundance Institute X Film Festival held for the first time in Chicago earlier this year.

South Side Weekly caught up with Uwakwe to discuss his journey, artistic process and latest work.

When did you first realize that you had a talent and a love for art? 

That started at a really young age and for as far back as I can remember. I would probably say when my parents separated. My dad remarried and I know when I stayed with my dad and my auntie, as we would call our stepmothers, I kind of stayed in my…I was very reclusive. I stayed to myself a lot…even staying in the room alone while everyone else was in the front room I would always draw and back then we didn’t have tracing paper. So, you would just pour kerosene on your regular paper, let it dry, and then put it on top of your image, and I used to trace Michael Jackson a lot. That’s when he was wearing the marching band stuff…. I used to trace Michael Jackson a lot until I was able to freehand him. And then in Nigeria, they teach art like they do here, and you know, in kindergarten, primary schools and all that other stuff, in high schools. They may be a little bit more intense there to make sure you get it right. I think it really came from when I was in high school and because I loved it a lot anyway…. It really started at a young age. So, I would say around ten I started cultivating that.

Your first image was of Michael Jackson. Have you always drawn people? Or have you focused on anything else? 

From the drawing aspect it was mostly people. I can do abstract paintings now, but growing up it wasn’t about abstract [art]. It was about still life. In high school they’ll put a shoe, an apple and a banana, and you have to draw them and you have to maintain the scale. So, no matter how great your theme was—sometimes my images were pretty great—but my art teacher was the type that when he came to do corrections, he did it with a pen. So now you need to redraw the whole thing. It was rather frustrating but, hey, when I look back, everything happens for a reason. But it was great and all he changed was this little thing and he was like, ‘do it again.’ Those were the only times I was really drawing more, you know, still life stuff, but usually people. And that transitioned into photography as well.

How did the opportunity to showcase your art at Sundance Institute X Film Festival in Chicago come about?

One of my good friends, NK Gutierrez, was one of the organizers of that event and she and I hadn’t seen each other for a handful of years…and we re-connected. I’m like, “I got this gallery, I need you to stop by…cuz you knew me way before this ever was a thought.” She came through, we broke bread, and we just caught up. Everything just started clicking and she was like “you know, I have to showcase you. People need to see this. And would you know it, I just got on the board for Sundance and these are the movies we’re showing.” So, for her, she was looking at pieces that I had in here…and I was like, “yeah, but how about I make something specific for what these themes of these films are,” and then when she told me about Luther [Vandross], which was so hush-hush…my brain just started churning. And that technique [in the paintings] of Luther, Chance and Common [was] a technique that I started… in Nigeria. …You have to just find little raw materials to create stuff, whatever you can find in the garbage. Sometimes you take the silver or the gold lining from inside a cigarette pack, you cut your letters out, that’s how you get your gold letters and things like that. That technique… I started doing when I was a kid. And, as I matured, I perfected it. 

What is your process?   

Well, the first struggle is having the initial idea. For me, when I’m excited about something, it’s easier to knock it out. This was definitely a situation where I had different plates spinning on different sticks and neither one of them could crash because there was drying time…so let’s say the Luther, for instance…if you got close enough to it, you were probably wondering whether it was wood or if it was styrofoam. It was actually styrofoam. It’s one thick piece of styrofoam and then I start shaving the background to make the foreground image stand out. Right? And then, first rule of thumb, you have to have it look like your subject. If you miss on the first round, you can’t erase off of styrofoam once you start, you got to toss that, get the next one, and just make it look exactly how that subject is, and I kind of pride myself in that when I do portraits. You know exactly who it is without it being, you know, altered or looking too abstract or wonky.  

 What are some of the biggest challenges that you face as a multi-hyphenated artist? 

I’d say one of the challenges would be: I say if a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound? Hell, yeah because it’s a tree! But if there’s no one there, no one feels the impact. So, for me, it’s like I can create all this beautifulness when it comes to art, but if I can’t bring it to the people then there’s no impact. An opportunity arose and I was in the moment of yes. I’m still in the moment of yes….You have to lean into your moment of yes for things to manifest.

One of the greatest challenges is really just to be sustainable from one’s talent. It’s like a fruit. To be able to eat from your own tree that you’ve planted and you’re staying nourished and you’re thriving from the fruits of your labor.

Looking ahead, do you have any upcoming projects that will bring your painting, music and photography together in a new way? 

I’ve been working on a breast cancer project for the past three years, going into its fourth year, and it’s called “Scarred: The Journey of a Warrior.” The purpose of this project: it’s a photographic project that I was inspired to do after I opened this gallery…. It kinda happened from a dream I had twenty years ago and I wanted to be of service and give back to a cause. I thought about a fellow musician who had breast cancer and had a mastectomy and that resonated with me. I’ve been fortunate to photograph twenty-six, twenty-seven women around the world. And one of the women was the one that decided…to just make a coffee table book because there are a lot of women who would like to see that there is still life after diagnosis. Whichever woman wants to be a part of it, all you have to do is…be sure that this is something that would help you in your journey. Then show up and we just let the moments create themselves.

To learn more about Obi Soulstar, visit his IG page @ObiSoulstar @Electriqsoul_Hideout_Studios and @ObiSoulstar_Shot_It and Spotify and iTunes for his music.

Dierdre Robinson is a writer and accounting manager in Chicago. She has a BA in Journalism from Michigan State University. She last contributed to the Best of the South Side 2024.