Viola Dodoo: On discovering her love for painting, returning to school to pursue a degree in graphic design, documenting food spots in Accra, and doing what she loves — #017
A year into painting, I realised I wanted to be a full-time artist. I was in Law school at the time but I had no interest in law... I never truly felt like I belonged in the legal world.
Hi, thank you for joining us for another edition of our interview with African Creatives. In this edition, I spoke with Viola Dodoo, a self-taught Visual Artist, Illustrator and Muralist from Ghana. After graduating from Law school in 2021, she’s back in school studying Graphic Design after discovering her love and passion for Art while she was in Law school.
If you are interested to know how she discovered her love for art and what drives her, the challenges she faces and how she navigates them, her favourite projects, the people that inspire her, and the people and brands she would love to work with, you should continue reading. You will definitely love and enjoy reading this!
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Viola Dodoo. I’m a Ghanaian self-taught Visual Artist, Illustrator and Muralist. I started painting and taking commissions for my work in 2020, during the pandemic. I was really just learning on the job and feel like I still am.
A year into painting, I realised I wanted to be a full-time artist. I was in Law school at the time but I had no interest in law. As interesting as studying law was, I never truly felt like I belonged in the legal world. I started Law school in 2017 and graduated in 2021 but I am back in school studying Graphic Design at Radford University.
Looking back, I have always been creative. In high school, I learnt to play the clarinet and even taught clarinet lessons for some time. I also used to doodle in high school. People loved my doodles and I soon started doodling on other people’s high school letters to other schools for a small fee.
Interesting!!! How did you get started? What led you to pursue a career in art?
During the pandemic, a friend of mine came over with acrylic paint and some canvases so we could paint for fun. I quickly realised how good I was at painting and how much I enjoyed it. I started posting my work on social media and it took off from there.
People started to express interest in buying my work. I was pleasantly surprised by the support I got from social media once I started posting my work. Looking back at the pieces now, they were not that good (in my opinion) considering I had just started painting.
Afterwards, I developed a great interest in exploring and using different mediums to create my art. Now, aside from painting on canvas, I paint digitally and on walls. I also paint on paper with acrylic and watercolour. I have painted on clothes in the past as well. I like to think that I can paint on almost any medium. I also dabble in creative and experimental makeup. I have done face painting at quite a few events and I intend to add tattooing to my portfolio.
What has the journey been like? How would you describe your experience and journey so far?
It has been a great experience for me and I’m grateful I get to do what I love. I have experienced great opportunities that align with my work and most of my clients give me creative freedom. Every career comes with its setbacks but navigating them has helped me grow into the person I am now.
My journey as an artist and a creative has been a surreal experience for me especially because about five years ago, I would never have imagined that I would start my journey into becoming a full-time artist. It’s truly a path that I feel was made for me. I fit into the creative world as seamlessly as the last jigsaw piece fits into a puzzle.
How would you describe what you do to a 5-year-old?
I see something in my mind and I try to paint it as best as I can.
What is your day-to-day routine? What does a typical day look like for you?
I’m pursuing a degree in Graphic Design at Radford University currently so most of the days of the week, I’m in classes. I juggle my school and work, which can be difficult. I can’t say I have a consistent schedule for my art but I paint whenever I can and/or find inspiration to.
A ‘typical art day’ for me starts when I wake up, usually around 9 am (on days I don’t have classes). I paint in my room so I lay out my supplies, pick a painting to work on and then I get to work. I would paint till about 3 pm, with short breaks in between.
What do you enjoy most about what you do? What is the most satisfying thing about what you do?
The art process itself can be discouraging when what I have in my head doesn’t manifest on my canvas but I enjoy the end results. A lot of my work has strayed from its original vision and I have ended up loving it all the same. I also enjoy other people’s reactions and/or interpretations of my work.
What is the best career investment you have made as a creative?
Investing my time in showing my work on social media has been instrumental to my progress as a growing artist. 80% of my clientele come across my work on social media.
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What are the challenges you face as a creative?
One of them is funding. It is capital-intensive to be a (traditional) artist.
Another one is not having my own iPad at the moment.
Working from my room is also challenging, considering the fact that I am easily distracted and I barely have space to store my numerous art supplies.
Pricing my work has also been a big challenge for me and in the past, I have ended up undercharging what my work is worth. However, I have grown a lot from that and I understand my worth a lot better now.
Although social media is my main resource, having to package my art as content is something I'm not really great at. I prefer to just post my art and maybe photos of my progress and just move on but social media requires a high level of consistency in posting. A platform like Instagram requires you to post things like reels to make your content more appealing and engaging to your audience and also to reach more people. But I don’t post consistently. I only post whenever I have a new work to showcase or I need to inform my audience of something. I feel like I'd excel more if I was a great content creator.
How do you navigate these challenges?
As for funding, I buy my art supplies in bits whenever I can afford them, instead of waiting to buy them in bulk.
To navigate the lack of an iPad at the moment, I am fortunate to have friends who allow me to use their iPads when I have to work on digital art commissions.
For space, I am content working from my room at the moment till I can facilitate a workspace to work from.
To deal with pricing, I am in quite a few artist groups and spaces containing artists from around the world who I go to for insight when I need advice on pricing my work. Different artists price their work differently so it’s still left to me to decide the final prices anyway, but it helps to have a guide.
When it comes to posting art consistently, I try to post whenever I can and try not to put pressure on myself to perform for an audience. I tend to burn out easily so I prefer to prioritise my sanity over posting consistently.
What is your creative process and workflow?
I love to play music when I'm working and the music I pick depends on my mood and/or what I’m working on. I would describe my creative process as chaotic which may sound counterintuitive but I thrive in chaos. I’m sometimes fueled by the uncertainty of where a piece is going. It makes me feel like there’s a surprise at the end of my process.
I usually have a concept, or maybe even a phrase that inspires a painting. Then I have to figure out how to execute it. Most times, I figure it out up to a point and then I wing it as I go. Other times, I have a clear vision for my piece but it ends up going in a different direction. A lot of my favourite work was born out of last-minute ideas and additions.
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What do you enjoy most about your process?
I enjoy seeing my visions come to life.
What are the essential gadgets, tools, and software you use for work daily?
For my traditional work, I use acrylic paint on canvas. I am also skilled in watercolour and markers, however, those do not feature very much in my daily work.
For my digital work, I use Procreate on an iPad.
How did the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown impact you and the work you do as a creative?
I started painting during the pandemic which was initially fueled by boredom until it became my whole life.
Also, the pandemic made people very active on social media, so I had engagement and commissions coming in much more than they do now.
How do you handle rejections and creative blocks as a creative?
I see rejection as something everyone would experience so I just acknowledge it, feel my feelings and move on.
For me, creative blocks are harder to work through because it’s hard to force your brain to cooperate when you feel uninspired or burnt out. I try to do more art for fun as opposed to work. I look for prompts or just draw anything around me to kickstart my mind and get the inspiration flowing. Sometimes I just try to relax and do things unrelated to art for a little bit and then I come back to my work with fresh eyes.
What is the task you don't enjoy doing but you have to do?
It’s hard for me to do pieces that I have no creative freedom in because then, it feels less like me and I like my paintings to reflect me and everything I stand for.
Commissions can be stressful as well so I prefer doing original work.
The business side of art - marketing, contracts, invoices, presentations, and so on - is something I don't enjoy doing but I absolutely have to. I do art because I have a huge passion for it but in the end, it is also my career and my whole life, so I have to do them.
What are the projects and pieces of work you are most proud of?
I have done quite a few exhibitions in the 3 years I’ve been painting which I feel is a good accomplishment for a self-taught artist. I also started doing original paintings a year ago (I used to do only custom paintings) and they’re like my babies. I love and enjoy my original work and I refuse to sell some of it.
Some brands I have worked with include Dove, House of Akomah, the Gold Coast Report, the MadWoman Agency, the Gyandu Place, Untamed Empire and ID Rcrds. These are all Ghanaian brands.
I was commissioned to make 5 paintings about motherhood for Dove’s Mother’s Day exhibition early last year. It was a group exhibition with a few other amazing Ghanaian female traditional artists.
I collaborated with House of Akomah, a budding handmade bag business to hand paint bags for their Valentine’s Day collection this year.
I was commissioned to paint murals at The Gold Coast Report Office, a podcast and media company in Osu, Accra; and at ID Rcrds, a recording studio in Tesano, Accra. Both this year.
I also exhibited my paintings at group exhibitions at the Gyandu Place, at a MadWoman Agency event and at Untamed Empire; all in Accra between late last year and the beginning of this year.
My art is also on display and for sale at Art Haus in Osu.
I'm proud of each of these projects individually. Also, I have an exhibition I’m currently working towards in October.
How do you stay creative?
I look for inspiration everywhere. I look at a face and I study its contours and how the lights and shadows hit the face. I try to sketch and paint whenever I can. I like to think that creativity runs through my veins because anything is a potential inspiration. Creativity resides within me.
What keeps you motivated to keep creating?
Creating art genuinely makes me happy and it’s one of the things I excel at. Creating art comes relatively easy to me and I like the experience.
Looking at my previous work inspires me to look forward to the next because I usually cannot predict what’s coming.
What do you do for fun? How do you relax when you are not working?
I love solo dates and dates in general. I have an Instagram account (@violaeats) dedicated to my interest in documenting food spots I visit in Accra.
I like to sit by the beach or lounge by a pool. I also like activity dates like paintballing, bowling, and the like. I like to bar-hop on occasion.
Who are the creatives that inspire you?
I follow a lot of amazing creatives on social media that inspire my work in one way or the other. I’m inspired by Pypah Santos, Hashim, Araba Opoku, Uzo Art, Yinkore among other amazing artists.
I love Pypah Santos’ Art style. Her YouTube channel and social media platforms helped me learn how to use the Procreate app.
Hashim is a friend of mine who just happens to be extremely talented. He’s a digital artist whose work I really love because of his distinct art style and his use of colour.
Araba makes really cool abstract art that speaks to real-world and environmental issues and her previous exhibitions have been inspiring.
I love Uzo’s work because of her use of colour and how she’s able to make her art into bags, clothes, and even wallpaper. Her wearable art pieces are just must-haves.
Yinkore is also a friend of mine whose work I have really come to love. Her depiction of women really speaks to me and the way she merges abstract digital art, painting and sometimes even photography to create her work is nothing short of an inspiration.
Who would you love to work with or collaborate with?
I would love to collaborate with the Female Painter. She’s an amazing Ghanaian muralist. I love how colourful and impactful her work is and her work ethic is commendable.
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What brand(s) would you love to work with?
I’d love to work with fashion brands as a fashion illustrator. It is a side of my art I'd like to explore more of.
I’d also love to collaborate with tattoo artists on tattoo designs and even maybe, be an apprentice to a tattoo artist in the future.
What would you be doing if you were not an artist?
I genuinely cannot see my life beyond art. Everything I’m interested in revolves around art in some way.
Gun to my head? I’d be a lawyer.
What advice do you have for someone who is just starting out or is at the early stage of their creative journey?
Don’t be scared to post your art on social media at any stage. Even if you just started and you think your work isn’t where you want it to be yet? Share it. You don't have to be a pro right away. The journey of an artist is just learning nonstop. You can evolve a thousand times. Embrace it.
Also, draw a lot if you can. Draw anything and everything. The more you practise, the easier it becomes.
Make sure you’re doing what feels like you and what makes you happy as well. Your audience will find you.
What would you consider success and fulfilment in your career when you look back in the next 20 years?
When I'm paying my bills, travelling and just living my best life out of money I make from my art.
When I feel like I’ve reached the point where you can spot a ‘Viola Original’ from a mile away.
When I feel like my art fully represents me and everything I stand for.
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Whose story would you love to read about?
Hashim.
Do you have anything you would like to plug in or promote?
My art, of course. You can find more of my work on Instagram. Also, check out my New Comma profile as well.
Thank you for sharing with us!!!
Connect with Viola on Instagram and Twitter. You should also check out her New Comma Profile.
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