KAD: Would you call yourself an artist at this stage of your journey?
Diran Aderinto: I have a sense that I am still becoming and that is good. I am still a work in progress. Allow me to share a bit about myself. I started as a filmmaker but gradually my relationship to pictures changed. I started becoming less interested in simply telling stories and more interested in how images make people feel; the emotional, psychological and even physical responses to these images. I see myself working as an artist now in the domain of observation, atmosphere, memory and lived experience. I like works that are emotionally truthful while demanding reflection, rather than definition.
KAD: What was your first connection with art making?
Diran Aderinto: Curiosity is what I think came first. I have always been attuned to people, and environments, and emotional details; the things that seem small and easy to overlook yet remain with you. Film was the entry point; as it gave me structure and a way to shape stories visually, but then it dawned on me that over time I was much more interested in feeling than narrative. I wanted to know to what extent images, sound, memory and space could transmit messages people sometimes find difficult to express.
KAD: Many of your pieces seem introspective, emotionally layered. What sorts of questions do you ask through your practice?
Diran Aderinto: I ask questions a lot about what people take with them as experiences. How memory shapes identity. How movement alters people’s feelings. How routine, loneliness, belonging, culture or even public space quietly affects how we understand ourselves. I prefer experiences; experiences that are very human but often too difficult to explain well; emotional transitions, uncertainty, vulnerability and adaptation. A lot of my work starts with trying to sit with those feelings instead of solving them.
KAD: Has your background shaped the type of artist you are becoming?
Diran Aderinto: I learned a lot from my background. Moving between places, acclimating to new environments, experiencing the fluidity of identity across different social and cultural spaces has influenced my perception of the humans I encounter and the places I enter. Growing up Nigerian, I have stayed connected to my culture, memory, language and everyday experience. It is quite fascinating to find out how an ordinary person’s emotional experience become a resource for deeper understanding of the person and their world.
KAD: How does experimentation form part of your artistic development and growth?
Diran Aderinto: Experiments are central to what I do. Like I said, I am still negotiating self. I can’t say I have one approach to fixing creative problems. Sometimes ideas start with photography, other times it is sound, writing, moving-image or it might be observation. I try to stay open and flexible. I let projects reveal themselves slowly. I have realized that uncertainty can be quite productive in fact, especially when you are unsure of what to look for. You will know when it feels right because it will feel honest and genuine and not over engineered to fit a certain expectation. Most importantly, I learn through the process.
KAD: What have you been learning about yourself through your Practice?
Diran Aderinto: Waiting and believing. Earlier, I felt compelled to define myself right away or produce work that brought immediate meaning. But I am gradually getting used to trusting quieter instincts, observation, emotional subtlety, tone and surroundings and things which take a while to come through. I am coming to realize that many of the experiences I once thought too ordinary often have the most potent emotional energy. Sometimes the smallest moments have the most meaning.
KAD: When you envision the future of your artistic practice, what type of artist do you aspire to become?
Diran Aderinto: I aim to create emotionally resonant art that encourages deeper engagement with its layers of meaning. My unique vision, expressed through photography, moving images, and installations, enriches my visual language. Being in the UK offers a valuable opportunity to grow as an artist within its diverse and vibrant arts scene, where I can connect with other young artists and curators. Growing in such a creative community will enhance my view in terms of recent visual culture, as well as the role I would like to play reflecting on my identity, memory, and the contemporary Black experience. I am looking forward to working with and attending exhibitions that would further integrate me into the local art world. I am passionate about making art that encourages meditation, emotional honesty, and genuine human connections, and I think being in the UK’s art scene is critical in that way.
