According to cocoalounge, Dawn Okoro knows how to make a paint brush bleed; and this young Texas native of Nigerian heritage is working her way into the pages of art history one stroke at a time. I felt a swelling of  pride in my chest, and as google would have it, I found her website and set up correspondence immediately.  The result is what you have below. An artist, a lawyer and an activist; she has many awards that attest to her prowess and a collaboration with Erykah Badu on the non-profit  organization B.L.I.N.D.

She is our new year’s gift to you, our devoted readers. Do enjoy the interview and have a wonderful new year everyone.

Dawn Okoro (Pix by Michael Shane Photography)

WRT: Can you tell us a bit about yourself, where you were born, your childhood, education etc?
DAWN: I was born in Houston, but raised in Lubbock, Texas.  I earned by bachelors degree from University of Texas located in Austin, Texas.  After living in Austin for several years, I moved to Houston, Texas temporarily to obtain my law degree from Texas Southern University.

WRT: Painter, lawyer and activist. How do you combine the three?
DAWN: I want to create paintings that people enjoy, but I also hope to use my artwork to bring awareness to certain social problems.  I will graduate from law school in May of this year.  Upon graduation, I plan to focus more on my artwork, however, I am interested in the area of art law, and I may do some freelance work in that area.  Art law involves many different subjects such as business contracts, copyright, and property issues.

WRT: Why the focus on the female (form)?
DAWN: I think I focus on the female form so much because I am partially influenced by the “supermodel” era of the 80’s and 90’s.

WRT: Don’t you feel this limits your creativity, sometimes?
DAWN: I don’t feel this limits my creativity at all.  However, I may incorporate some male forms into future paintings.

WRT: A lot of artists have made the move from traditional mediums to digital, will you join this migration or do you have any reservations?
DAWN: I am very open to creating work in a less traditional medium.  I look forward to branching out into other mediums as I gain the inspiration and resources.

WRT: Where do you look for inspiration? Music, other artists?
DAWN: I am definitely inspired by music as well as other artists.  I am influenced by Andy Warhol for his incorporation of pop culture and heavily saturated colors.  I am also very influenced by photographers like Richard Avedon and Steven Meisel for their abilities to tell a story and create a strong composition.

WRT: You are well known in the United States and even teamed up with Erykah Badu on a project. When will you stage an exhibition of your works in Nigeria?
DAWN: I would love to have a show in Nigeria.  Hopefully this will happen a few years down the road.

WRT: Most people think that, in an artist’s life, his/her childhood is the most important part. How did those years affect you? What kind of pictures do you see when you think about your childhood?
DAWN: Growing up, I spent a lot of time watching television and flipping through fashion magazines.  Popular culture and consumerism has a heavy influence on my artwork.

WRT: Artists in an ideal sense can be the voice of the people, or a certain group. Who do you feel you speak to, or for?
DAWN: I am not sure that I am the voice of anyone except myself and my own experiences right now.  Maybe after some time passes, I may be able to look back on things and see more.

WRT: What’s next for you?
DAWN: My work is going to be on exhibit at the Texas Biennial from March 6th through April 11th in Austin, Texas.  I am also working on a series of paintings to be shown at the California African American Museum later this year.

WRT: Thank you for your time, Dawn.
DAWN: Thank you!