Idris Veitch is a Nigerian/Jamaican-born digital collage and mixed media artist. His body of work has been shown in solo and collaborative exhibitions in Nigeria, Japan and Jamaica, and also featured in online and printed publications including Nataal, African Digital Art, Vogue Girl Japan and Buzz Caribbean. 

 

His journey into digital collage/mixed media started during research for his graduation collection in Tokyo where he attended fashion school. Being half-Nigerian with very little familiarity of that side of his family, he began an intentional line of inquiry into those previously neglected facets of his life. This cross-cultural examination resulted in a fusion of Japanese and African influences into his final garments. 

The research process during this time included the creation of two collage pieces which combined masks from different regions in Africa with ukiyoe, a genre of Japanese art created using woodblock prints. He would continue this practice after graduation which eventually turned into a series titled “African Masks X Ukiyoe”. This body of work would eventually lead to multiple exhibitions and artist features in different publications - both print and online.

 

Veitch’s evolving body of work continued to build on top of what he previously established to also include the many facets of the black experience. Working with a wider palette of mixed media, contrasting elements and textures he is able to weave intricate, narrative-rich layers in each piece to reveal stories that resonate with depth, complexity and a colourful playfulness.