Get To Know: multi-disciplinary artist Betty Ogundipe

Betty Ogundipe is an artist working across painting, photography, textile, installation and moving image. She remains perpetually open to exploring other mediums throughout her process, letting her mission to convey the varied female experience guide her work over anything else. The result is truly spectacular; filled with bright colours, dynamic shapes and fluid brushstrokes, it feels as organic as it does intentional. 

Having studied at London’s Central Saint Martins and Slade School of Fine Art, she has since exhibited with the Tache Gallery, showing works that explore her love of boxing through themes of femininity, resistance and self-protection. 

We speak with Betty about her inspirations, creative community and the qualities that make Gen Z unique… 

How would you describe yourself and your work?

I’m an artist. Not a creative, or a consultant, I’m just an artist. My work is a developing display of my experiences and a reflection of the world we’re living in and the conversations we’re not having. 

Where did you grow up, and how did that shape you and your practice? 

I grew up in Hounslow & Shepherds Bush. Growing up in London probably shaped my interests, but I think my practice ultimately comes from making sense of surviving in my environment. 

What stories do you aim to tell through your work?

I aim to tell stories about the female experience, through my own lens and those of my female peers / role models. Stories for women, by women, excluding nobody, including everybody, but from my eyes. 

Your practice seems very fluid; how do you feel that impacts the outcome of your work? 

I think people never really know what to expect, and I can’t be boxed in; I dislike being branded as a ‘painter’ for that reason, the outcome is always changing and even I couldn’t tell you the nature of what I’m making next, only the story behind it. I couldn’t even tell you what the next thing is supposed to look like, because I create everything from my imagination. 

Who or what is inspiring you right now?

Any form of card game or board game, my friends, (especially the ones making music), gqom, also the vibe Lamborghini’s got going on.

How would you describe the creative or cultural community you feel a part of? And what makes it special?

I’d describe it immediately as hardworking. We do not have time to talk about what should and shouldn’t be happening, and who should and shouldn’t be doing what. Our perseverance makes it special, because even when we aren’t given opportunities, we’re starting to create our own, and feed the knowledge amongst each other. When one person wins, we all gain, and that’s also what makes us special. 

What do you feel Gen Z is bringing to the realm of art and creativity that is different from previous generations?

Our careers… they look different. We’re all creating our own roles, Gen Z is the genre-bending generation, across all forms of expression + culture. I said I wasn’t a bunch of things earlier, like a creative, but it’s because we are all creating new definitions for what will be a new generation of tastemakers and culture shapers. 

What do you think the biggest cultural shift of this year will be?

I reckon everyone will stop trying to do EVERYTHING as a means for their creative passions, and instead, follow the thing they love the most. I think in creative culture it’s normalised to try every single avenue of the creative world. I’m not saying that’s bad, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with honing your skills in one, two, three connected things. 

What emerging trend or person are you really excited about right now? 

Boxing, and a general love for sports. It’s trendy to be a football fan and I think it does a lot for people here, to be involved in sports & be part of a community.

‍What's something that's considered cool right now that you think won't age well?

Cult followings. It’s already quietly aging like milk…