“I don’t consider myself a professional. I wish I was,” artist Akeem Hartman said. Akeem’s outstanding sketch of the late Black Panther star, Chadwick Boseman which was posted to Facebook some weeks ago had garnered amazing reviews and has since seen a number of persons placing orders for sketches.
Most of Akeem’s sketches are portraits. He is also skilled in leather crafting, making belts and slippers. He is also a tattoo artist.
Akeem was born in Kwakwani but when he was three years old, he and his family moved to Barbados. They later returned to Guyana where he completed his secondary education at Kwakwani Secondary School. A lover of cars, as a boy, Akeem dreamt of one day becoming a mechanic. The idea of a career in art was never considered.
In fact, according to the artist, his journey in art started as a result of a bet made many years ago while he was in St Vincent with his cousins. He confessed that he did not even know whether he could draw as he never put much effort into it. “My cousins [made a] bet that I [could not] draw a girl… [They were] shocked at home when they saw how the drawing came out,” he said. Akeem’s mother, realising her son’s artistic potential, wasted no time and started purchasing all the art materials he needed to draw.
Akeem soon became an art fanatic and recounted one experience where his mother sent him money to purchase clothes and sneakers, but he spent some of the money on art materials and the remainder on a KFC combo. The following day, he said, his mother told him she would have to do his shopping herself. He told her he wanted to purchase his own clothing, but she was not going to fall for that trick a second time.
“Whenever I go into an art store, I can’t control myself. All of my money finish there. It’s like women going into a shoe or jewellery store,” laughed the artist.
His mom, he said, is his biggest supporter and it was she who posted the Chadwick Boseman sketch on her Facebook business page. “She is always looking for ways to push me and encourage me to never give up,” Akeem said. However, his mother is only one of many supporters. Another of his supporters is his younger sister, Masecia, who he lovingly described as “beautiful and disgusting”.
Though his art skill is remarkable, the young artist noted that he needs to be get better at his skill before he contemplates entering art competitions.
He has participated in making costumes for the Crop Over Festival in Barbados.
After finishing secondary school, Akeem enrolled at the E R Burrowes School of Art but unfortunately, he was never able to complete the programme. Nevertheless, his stay at the art school did hone his skills. He learnt many new techniques in perfecting his art. However, there seems to always be one that can pose a challenge. For Akeem, it was drawing someone’s hair. He confided that it took him more than a month to learn but from the look of things, he has perfected this skill.
When asked about his inspirations in art, Akeem shared that he has never stopped to admire the work of others but plans to start. However, in terms of admiration, Akeem shared that he looks up to former US president Barack Obama. “I think Barack Obama was the president that [brought] people of different races together and I admire him for that,” said Akeem.
The Black Panther star was also another who gained the artist’s admiration for the way he united people through his films. Boseman, he said was a mentor to many young men like himself. He learnt from him that in spite of trials, one can go through life with a smile on one’s face.
“It means a lot to me. When I’m drawing, it calms me down if I’m upset about anything…,” said the artist.
One of his sketches takes an average of two days to complete, unless he is distracted by either his mom or his sister, then a sketch may run him four days to complete.
For getting the best out of his work, Akeem is selective when it comes to the kinds of art materials he uses. For the best sketches he prefers to use Smooth Bristol drawing books and pencils. Since he does not have a host of clients just yet, the artist sources materials locally though it is really expensive. Since posting his work on Facebook saw him getting a lot of orders, he is planning on diverting soon to shopping online at international stores where prices will be more affordable as well as the option of having a wide variety of art products.
Never one for working with others, Akeem likes that art allows him to work in his own time despite deadlines of completing orders. The idea of not being pushed around by a boss is another perk of being an artist, he added.
Meanwhile, as it relates to disadvantages, he noted that the biggest is that a career in art lacks a stable income. He added that for someone like himself, who just recently began taking orders for sketches, a side job definitely helps economically.
He hopes that the near future finds him being a teaching and mentor to the next generation who are passionate about art like he is. This he sees as a way of giving back to his community. “[I would also] like to see a lot more art exhibitions where artists can display and sell their artwork [as well as] an art committee, where the more experienced artists will encourage and advise [budding] artists,” he said.
Having to deal with a variety of colours, artists often find it difficult to pick a favourite, but Akeem likes black. He added that his bedroom is painted in dark gray.
Not a sociable young man, Akeem prefers to spend his free time watching boxing or motor racing on television, sleeping, exercising, and eating.
Currently, he is attending the Guyana Industrial Training Centre, where he is pursuing courses in metal engineering. He claims to have found the “best teachers in the world” at the training centre as they make the course as simple as can be for him and everyone else.
To place an order or to follow Akeem on social media, check out his page on Facebook, Portrait Drawing.
