45 SÂDE POPOOLA (SHADZ

@SHADZS_ART

Sâde Popoola (Shadz)

Sâde is an illustrator based in the UK whose work pays tribute to those who belong to the African diaspora. In addition to her commercial illustrations that showcase brands, she has also created illustrations that serve a politcal purpose.

Biography

I am a Black British-Nigerian freelance illustrator based in Milton Keynes and London. I studied illustration at the University of Lincoln and graduated with a first class degree, and I have always loved art. As a child, I would draw things around my house or draw cartoon characters but as I got older and studied art in school this developed into portraiture.

Although I still dabble in portraiture, university really encouraged me to think more conceptually when designing whilst also helping me refine my style of illustrating through digital illustration. Getting an iPad was really a game changer! It allowed me to merge my love for the aesthetic of printmaking with the ease and flexibility of designing digitally.

Within my work I now mainly work in a minimalistic style, using limited colour palettes, texture overlays (both handmade and digital), or interesting compositions to add more visual depth. It’s a style that has taken me years to figure out and is still developing!

Most of my work centers around my heritage and culture to either show appreciation or raise awareness on issues impacting them. Although I always aim for my illustrations and designs to be visually appealing, I love the idea of evoking thought through my art whether it’s to remind someone of their own culture and expose people to a different one, or to confront issues and encourage reflection on an individual basis. I want to always create art that means something to someone.

@SHADZS_ART

ANKARA AESTHETICS

By Shadz

ANKARA AESTHETICS IN RED

@SHADZS_ART

This series was originally motivated by Black History Month and my desire to get back into illustrating for fun after finishing university. I wanted to use it as a way to experiment with my developing style whilst also highlighting an aspect of my culture.

ANKARA AESTHETICS IN PINK

ANKARA AESTHETICS IN ORANGE

My illustration style is relatively minimalistic so I look for other ways to add depth to a piece, whether that be texture overlays, composition, or colour. Wanting to achieve more depth is what led me to draw exaggerated and expressive poses. Inspired by fashion/editorial photography, I liked how playing with the perspective and the positioning of a figure’s body can make an outfit the main focus of an image and catch one’s attention. Since these illustrations pay homage to Nigerian Ankara print design, I wanted each pattern to stand out within its respective illustration.

ANKARA AESTHETICS IN YELLOW

PRODUCED BY THE FILM AND TV INDUSTRIES

By Shadz

‘Produced by the Film and TV Industries’ is a project dedicated to highlighting racial inequalities within film and tv. For people of colour, a lack of accurate representation feels like standard practice. Within this series, I wanted to highlight the different racial themes at play in the entertainment industry that impact how black people are portrayed on screen.

The response was a series of film posters that used juxtaposition, colour, and texture in varying methods to convey racial themes. I wanted each poster to have a different aesthetic whilst still noticeably being part of a collective. In doing so, I was able to vary my style to suit the mood and message portrayed in each piece.

Series: When I Think About Nigeria

NO WAHALA DANFO

@SHADZS_ART