Morenike Olusanya, popularly known as Renike, is an award-winning visual and book cover artist, and illustrator. When she’s not creating masterpieces or challenging herself to learn more, she is a mentor to artists that need guidance. She also enjoys working with authors, helping them to bring their vision and books to life by creating beautiful book covers and inner artworks for them. She has designed and illustrated book covers for Notable people including Aminata Touré, Germany’s first Black female minister, award-winning American author Coe Booth, and Jamaican-American author Nicola Yoon.
Her personal work focuses on presenting black women in soft and subtle tones, which is in direct contrast with the way black women are often portrayed, rooted in the stereotype that they always have to be strong. The core message in her work is to represent black women growing and existing as young people who are experiencing life in the world. For Renike, art is an avenue to record her personal journey through life. It is her way of creating a relatable and safe environment where black women with shared experiences are their full selves, whoever that might be. She says that one of the greatest compliments she has ever received is hearing women say that her art creates a safe space for them.
Renike has a Bachelors Degree in Visual Arts (Graphic Design) from The University of Lagos, Nigeria. She has been featured on platforms like Vogue, GQ South Africa, CNN Africa, Culture Custodian, Okay Africa, The Guardian, and others. Renike has worked with brands like Dark & Lovely, Hulu, Routledge, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, Wilson’s Juice Co and Olori Cosmetics, amongst others. She was recognised as one of the honourees on Leading Ladies Africa’s 100 Most Inspiring Women in Nigeria in 2021 and was bestowed with the Lord's Achievers - Special Recognition Award: A Lady Making Impact Through Art in 2022. She was nominated for The Future Awards Africa Prize for Art and Literature in 2022 and won The Future Awards Africa Prize for Art and Literature in 2023.
FAQs
Are you a self-taught artist?
Not completely. I always drew from when i was a child till I got into university (University of Lagos) and studied Visual Arts. I was introduced to other traditional art mediums during my time there & obtained a Bachelor’s Degree of Visual Arts. I specialised in Graphic Design and started learning digital art in my 3rd year, during a compulsory internship period. I’ve continued to learn and been practising since then.
Do you get jealous of other artists’ talent? Like “oh i wish i could do that” not anything harmful.
Of course! It’s normal! What i do is that i replace the feeling of jealousy with that of curiosity. I know you've probably heard this a couple of times but you'd have to refocus that energy into feeling inspired and challenged instead of feeling jealous. I try to look at their processes. Why do their works look that way? What are they doing differently? What tools do they use?...everything. When I realise that it's something I can do with practice, I don't feel jealous any more. I start to focus on getting into the process of achieving same or better. If i’m unable to do that and my efforts keep failing, i move on and revisit another time.
What tools do you use?
For digital art, I use an iPad Pro, an Apple Pencil, a Macbook Pro and a Wacom Cintiq. For traditional art, I use charcoal, watercolours and acrylics.
Do you have any advice for beginners?
1. Don’t be afraid to explore styles, experiment and create what you want.
2. Don't be afraid to charge how much you think your time and skill are worth.
3. Have an email dedicated to your business and try to communicate only via that email.
4. Draw up contracts that will protect you from being exploited.
5. Try to practice as much as you can and take breaks when necessary.
6. Charge rush fees.
7. Always be polite.
8. It's okay to turn down commissions that you think are not the best fit for you. The same applies to projects that don't interest you.
9. Don’t be reluctant to accept challenging projects/commissions, as they help you grow.
10. Have a spreadsheet recording all your commissions and sales, so you can track your progress and increase fees when you need to.
11. Market your commissioned works, so that people are informed that you are open for commissions.
12. Exposure does not pay bills. Collaborate for exposure only when you’re sure it would benefit you in the long run.
13. Be patient with yourself.
14. Be kind to yourself.
15. Look after your mental health.
What inspired you to become an artist?
I can't particularly say I was inspired to become one. I just liked drawing from when I was little and 15-20 years later, here I am.
How do you deal with blockers?
When I'm trying to create and it's not working out, I don't try to force it. I just leave it alone for a while and try to feed my eyes. For motivation, I watch tutorials, and look at the work of artists I admire.
What is your process like?
I daydream about my art a lot, so it usually takes a few months between the first idea and execution. On a few occasions, I do execute immediately, but that’s rare. My process starts with daydreaming about the idea, then I start to gather resources and references. Finally, when I feel full and ready, I execute the idea. At this time, I already have a pretty clear idea of what I want, so it doesn’t take too long to create the piece. Commissions are different though. With book cover commissions, for instance, I prefer to read the manuscript, and immerse myself in the main characters’ journey so that I have a clear idea of what sort of cover to create.
Are you available for commissions?
Yes, I am! I’m available for both commissions and collaborations.
How long do commissions take?
It depends on what sort of commissions they are. For book covers, it is usually about 2 months. For inner book illustrations, it takes a while, up to 7 months, depending on how many I have to create. For portrait and others commissions, an average of 10 to 15 working days. I hardly ever take traditional painting commissions, but when i do, it takes months to execute and get delivered.
What inspires you?
I don’t have any particular places where I specifically search for inspiration, I'm inspired by many different things. A constant, however, is black women. I am always inspired by black women.
What do you think about using references?
lol. There is absolutely no shame is using references. My artworks are often a combination of tons of research and references to create a masterpiece. Using references is not always the same as completely imitating an artwork. It’s using images to guide your imagination, especially if your art is inspired by reality. E.g, if you need to draw an image of someone with their hands up and you’re not sure how someone looks with their hand up, take a picture of yourself with your hands up in a position you imagine your artwork to be in and use it as a reference.
How did you find your style?
My style was developed from constantly creating and experimenting. I wasn’t even aware that I had one until it was pointed out by several people.