In Conversation with: Lanre Alao

Nigerian 3D artist, renderer and architect Lanre Alao creates visualisations of space and emotion.

How would you describe what you do to someone who hasn’t seen your art? 

I’m a 3D artist, who is focused on creating spaces that speak to the emotions and stimulate the senses, using multiple textures and objects to create visual interest and balance, and making it feel serene. I believe spaces should improve the emotional state of an individual.

When and how did you first fall in love with art? 

I have always had a flare for creativity. I wanted to be an architect from a young age, but getting to college I got more insight that exposed me to different arts, from the technique to the raw emotion and I gradually realised it’s significance.

Where are you based? 

I’m based in Lagos, Nigeria. I consider the serene and peaceful nature of my studio special, it’s like being in my own world creating magic. 

How long have you been practicing as an artist? 

I studied Architecture for my B.Sc. and M.Sc. I started my creative journey in 2010 but I have been focusing on visualisation for the past seven years. 

What does a typical day in the studio involve? 

A typical day would be an early morning warm up exercise, after which I scroll through a few blogs for inspiration for our next project. Then move to sketch a few ideas and have meetings with my team on how we could get them executed, share ideas and continue with previous days work. A break in between to scrabble and talk on random digital art stuff – we argue on which looks better or who does it best, this is a nerve relaxing time for us all. 

What is your subject matter? 

My subject matter is a combination of still life and landscape art and I get inspiration from photography, environment art and nature. 

What materials do you use and why? 

I make use of 3ds Max/Houdini, Corona Renderer and Davinci Resolve as it’s been my workflow for years, they all have specific features but generally I’ll say they make working easier and faster to get photorealistic results.

What have you been working on recently? 

Presently I’m working on a personal project, which I’m very much excited about, while I’m making use of tools I’ve mastered through the years. While I work as a freelancer for a top architectural firm in Nigeria and globally, in all stages of the traditional 3D production pipeline from modelling to rendering I experiment with rendering and creating opportunities to display my skills across different creative industries. 

What is your dream artistic project? 

To be part of a team of environmental artists creating history through the beauty of Africa in a Blockbuster movie.

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