Last December Brazilian multidisciplinary artist, Igi Ayedun opened her first official exhibition in Spain. Experimenting with the blue colour, she wanted to develop her social interest and obsession for Indigo. With 100% organic raw materials, she decided to bring back the past and traditional technics to explore the current society. A modern society, mixing it with the digital and the 3D culture, in collaboration with another Brazilian artist, Gabriel Massan. Photographer Louise Reinke decided to shoot her somewhere far away in Paris, where we met her for a little chat. 

Hello Igi, can you introduce yourself briefly?

I’m Igi and I’m a Brasilian autodidact artist working with different kind of mix media. I started in fashion-press and communication industry, working with brands like Ximon Lee and Neith Neyer for example, I was doing art direction and co-edited the magazine U+MAG in early 2000. We decided with this media to mark the new generation, a new vision of art and fashion.

And at what time you decided to explore your art skills? 

For the last three years I’ve focused full time on my artistic career. It’s been financially possible for me to be officially on this, fashion was a step to remain comfortable and more confident about my choices. Growing up, I wanted to shake up these two different worlds and being in Paris, made all this possible.

What were the main inspirations for you, as an artist?

My work started with the study of the blue colour. I was always attracted by the indigo. Even when I was just painting for fun. I found so many things through this colour, after some research, this colour has a real history within Africa for example. It’s a meaningful colour. So I took this as the main inspiration.

It’s about how religion and slavery were supported by a colour, and it’s strong.

I decided to work fully on it. Now, I learned to be more artisanal and to work on different technics to explore indigo.

And any inspirations with some Modernists artists like Picasso for example?

I fucking hate them for all these cultural appropriations. I’m so angry towards these modernist guys like Miro, Picasso and Matisse who just go into something that is not part of their proper culture.

What is the place of women in your art? 

I’m a feminist but I don’t want people to tag me to be only a feminist girl. I want to be a woman, and yes my body is political.  I want a woman to be a normal human being who can decide and lives her proper experiences. I want to express this through my art. We don’t need to be put in a box.

Any opinion about what’s happening politically in Brazil?

Now Brazil has become a dictatorship country. It’s problematical; as politics are killing modernity. Social violence and small people can’t resist to this stratocracy. But I’m keeping faith towards the new generation. Youngsters are having the guts to be in opposition to all these politicians. They are building a new story and that’s fantastic!

Igi Lola Ayedun in Moohong Lysandre G.L, UGG x Y/Project, Nehera, Damowang, Arche
And Yoshikimono; shot on 35mm by Louise Reinke, Produced Anne Mukendi, interview by Ivica Mamedy and special thanks @lamoustacheparis and Le Manoir in Triel-Sur-Seine