Interview with Ver Ikeseh

Q: Can you tell me about your 920 Project?

A: I actually started it as ‘I Can 100’ I can, like, I can do something, and I can, [as in] spray can. So the idea was like, I can 100, but when I started, I discovered that I could do it. 100 was not scary. So at some point, I was like, ‘Okay, let me figure this out. Let me do something big.’ So I just wanted a big, large figure that was going to scare me and then also inspire other people. So, I paint for those who can afford, [and] I get the money. I use the proceeds from the domain for people who can’t afford, because I just feel like we just need to keep beautifying spaces, giving more meaning to the spaces, and just making people feel like, ‘Oh, this is cool. I belong here. I want to be here.

Q: How many murals have you finished?

A: I have actually stopped counting. But when I have to give a presentation, because organizations want to hear in one number, I approximate. So in Africa, I’ve done a lot, close to 100, and then now that I’m in the US, I’ve done almost 30.

Q: Do you have a favorite mural?

A: Like specifically, no, because every work is different, the space is different, the people are different. You know, however, there is one of my murals that has arguably been the most significant mural, and it’s also because of the theme and the symbolism. So there is this Reverend Father. He’s Angus Fraser, who is from Ireland, and he is a missionary and went to Nigeria and stayed for 43 years and dedicated his whole life to teaching students. He was the principal, and he gave all he had for 43 years to the students and made sure that everything went as it should. And then, until he passed on. And to me, he was not celebrated enough, and I did a mural to celebrate him. And it had a wide audience, press, the media, a lot of people, but most officially, the testimonies that came from the students that he had mentored. So [for me] that mural continues to live on. You know, his life, his legacies have continued to live on through the murals and other things. And I would say that I really felt honored that I was able to honor someone of that importance in his absence, and also because it was not a commission; it was nothing. It was just me trying to give back to the community. And when I started the project, I never anticipated that kind of reception. And I think that the mural has continued to have an impact on me as a person and community.

Q: What advice do you have for aspiring middle school artists?

A: Okay, middle school artists, what I would say is that if you want to go for it, go for it. You can make it; it’s going to be worthwhile. The good thing is that as artists, we want to have a large community of artists, which is super cool. But then, even if the community is small, you still have an advantage. If we have a lot of artists, that’s good. Now that we don’t have a lot of artists, it also means you have a lot of opportunities, you know. So don’t be scared. A lot of people just say, ‘Oh, how would I survive as an artist?’ There are lots of opportunities, you know, that you can strive as an artist. So just to say that, please, every middle school artist, don’t be scared. If this is what you want to do, please go for it. So let’s all be open-minded and just see how we can incorporate art.