Artist's statement Šhema
Šhema, real name Shema Hervé BANYANGIRIKI, born in Kigali (Rwanda) on April 9, 1996, is a self-taught, multi-faceted illustrator with a strong passion for the plastic arts. From graffiti on paper to portraits and oil painting, he has perfected his drawings. Every chance he got, he practiced what he would later spend all day doing during vacations or vacations. It was at the age of 9 that he unknowingly discovered his passion.
Just a pupil in 3rd grade (CE2), drawing outlines of human heads in his notebooks, he learned how to juggle a pencil on a sheet of paper.
In high school, he continued to draw more and more, this time focusing on graffiti because of his new passion for hiphop, urban culture and his native continent.
His talent led him to win the drawing competition organized by PEPFAR & the U.S. Embassy, on March 22, 2009, while enjoying greater recognition.
When he arrived in France, with the little time he had with his university studies, he was able to evolve his illustrations. Around 2015, in Orléans, he attended painting classes at "Arts Libres".
He also started giving drawing and painting lessons himself.
Later in his illustrations, he focused on themes of everyday life, making sure to remain authentic and innovative by seeking to create another reality to explain the current one; an artistic direction he follows to this day.
Living in the Paris region, he explores and creates the conceptual art he prefers. In this movement, his artistic ideas aim to define the aesthetic aspect that guides the judgment linked to perception, to the expression of oneself or of others concerning the work he creates.
This aesthetic aspect reflects the exaggeration of reality, which amplifies the work's expression to a greater or lesser extent, while remaining within a messaging dimension that is relative and in line with reality and the mores of the target societies.
The aim is to : "get out of reality in order to explain reality."
Artistic process
Every artistic work created by Šhema begins with an artistic idea. This artistic idea is a guideline for every movement the arm makes while holding a pencil, pen or stylus.
This idea is transcribed in the form of a text describing the work explicitly, detailing its spatio-temporal aspect, in order to illustrate the message to be conveyed. These texts are part of the artanatomy.
From then on, he gives concrete form to his ideas by illustrating on different media, following the thought process that determines the appearance of the work in question.
Materials
Šhema can draw with a variety of materials: graphite pencil, charcoal, colored pencil and, more often, a digital graphic tablet.
Artistic influences
Michel Basquiat, Vincent Van Gogh & Michelangelo are Šhema's two greatest inspirations; their talent, their style, their power to describe reality as well as the message in their works.
Artistic process
Every artistic work created by Šhema begins with an artistic idea. This artistic idea is a guideline for every movement the arm makes while holding a pencil, pen or stylus.
This idea is transcribed in the form of a text describing the work explicitly, detailing its spatio-temporal aspect, in order to illustrate the message to be conveyed. These texts are part of the artanatomy.
I then put my ideas into practice by illustrating on different media, following the thought process that determines the appearance of the work in question.
Materials
Šhema can draw with a variety of materials: graphite pencil, charcoal, colored pencil and, more often, a digital graphic tablet.
Artistic influences
Michel Basquiat, Vincent Van Gogh & Michelangelo are Šhema's two greatest inspirations; for their talent, their style, their power to describe reality as well as the message in their works.
Certificate of Authenticity
Some giclée Posters sold on graphartixry.com are accompanied by a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) confirming the authenticity of the artwork concerned. The Certificate of Authenticity specifies Šhema as the artist, the title of the work, the edition number, the size, the medium which is the type of paper used for the poster/print, the production date, a unique certificate number generated by the print supplier, Šhema's signature and the Graphartixry logo.
For other products, a packing slip accompanies the product. It includes the packing slip number, shipping date and address, return address and a personalized message of dedication from the customer.