Olana Janfa seems to be everywhere I turn, his artworks calls out to me as I wait for a coffee at a cafe in Collingwood, I see his colourful prints on dresses displayed in a window of a clothing shop in northcote, and it even adorns the basketball court and playground areas at the Atherton Gardens housing estate in Fitzroy.
For a man who had never picked up a paintbrush until 2018 (not even in primary school) Olana Janfa has certainly made a name for himself in the Melbourne creative scene.
Born in Ethiopia, and growing up in Norway, Olana only decided to stay and reside in Melbourne after visiting for a holiday in 2015. And we are lucky for it.
His artwork has a sophisticated naivety to it, it’s colourful, joyous and evokes conversation, which is saying something for someone who was never formally trained.
“I taught myself, I painted every day and gradually found my own style. “ – says Olana
“As I continued, I realised that art was a powerful way for me to connect with my culture, express my identity and communicate ideas, I feel very blessed that I found my purpose.”
Since then, Olana has worked on an impressive number of projects and collaborations, and now shares his art with us though clothing, books, records, laneways and public spaces, and in homes of people all over the world.
Today I have the absolute pleasure of chatting with Olana about his art, inspirations, goals and what exciting things he has on the horizon.
Read on below…
Can you tell us a little about yourself, your background/journey and what led you to becoming an artist?
I am Olana. I am from Ethiopia, and I grew up in Norway. I came to Australia in 2015 for a holiday and have lived here ever since.
I first started painting in 2018. I had never painted or done any kind of artwork before this time, not even in primary school. I taught myself, I painted every day and gradually found my own style. As I continued, I realised that art was a powerful way for me to connect with my culture, express my identity and communicate ideas.
Since then, I have done many projects and collaborations, my art is on clothing, books, records, laneways and public spaces, and in homes of people all over the world. I feel very blessed that I found my purpose.
How would you describe your work?
I would describe my work as unique, humorous and free. It’s an honest expression of who I am. I feel like most people can connect with what I do. I want it to be democratic; everyone should enjoy it. If a child can see my work and it makes them smile, that brings me joy.
Can you give us some insight into your process?
I work from my home studio in Thornbury. I paint pretty much every day. I love having a space to go to that gives me purpose. When I get an idea, I am very impatient to go to my studio and do it right away. I work with acrylic and oil paint, mostly on reclaimed timber board. I also work with different clients and collaborators, on murals and other projects. I enjoy the process of working together and bringing my own style to someone else’s vision, it pushes me and I like that.
What inspires your artworks?
I am inspired a lot by music, language, sport, family, kids, and the culture I see around me. In the beginning, I was influenced by the Ethiopian Orthodox artwork I grew up with in Addis Ababa. This style of traditional Ethiopian painting has definitely informed my own style.
What does a day in the studio look like for you?
I like to wake up quite early, take my time with a good coffee, have some good conversation. Sometimes these morning rituals can start a new idea. I am generally working on something every day, so I am always keen to get out to my studio and work on it. Some pieces take more than a week to produce, and I like to rhythm of adding those layers, day after day. The draw to my studio is like a magnet, I get quite impatient if I can’t be there.
What are some resources you use for inspiration?
Instagram is really good for going deep into things that I like, for example reggae culture, fashion, images of Africa, historical photos of black culture around the world.
The past few years have been quite challenging for many industries. Can you tell us about how Covid affected your practice and what changes you’ve made if any?
I think Covid was good for me, to be honest. I had more time to be creative and produced a lot of work. Also, I feel like people were more engaged with art at that time; people wanted to bring joy and beauty into their homes.
Tell us about some of the people in the industry who inspire you and why?
Even though I am a full-time artist now, I don’t really see myself in the industry of art, to be honest. I just like to go my own way in my own time. I feel very grateful that I didn’t study art – having no rules gives me more freedom to create, just do it. I think my inspiration comes more from people I admire in other industries – music, fashion. What’s most inspiring to me is when I see people like me express their culture and identity in a way that is original.
What would your dream project/collaboration be?
My next goal is to work with an international recording artist. Music is such a big part of what I’ve always done, and I’ve met some amazing musicians along the way – we seem to get each other. I feel like this is the next natural step for me. Outside of that, I want to exhibit my work internationally and travel more.
Where is your favourite place to shop in Melbourne (could be art supplies, interiors, clothing, food…anything)?
Most of my clothes come from op shops, vintage shops and garage sales. I don’t like new stuff; I prefer to create a new style out of something that’s old.
For coffee, I really like going to the café upstairs at Piedemonte’s, it’s relaxed and old school, which I like.
I love Taita’s House in Thornbury for amazing Lebanese food. For Ethiopian food I always go to Jambo and Ras Dashen in Footscray. The food is fresh and authentic, and the people working there are warm. It feels like Ethiopia.
What’s next for you? What exciting things are on the cards for the year ahead?
It’s been a busy year for me. I have done a bunch of mural works. I did a big project with Nike, designing the new basketball court and playground areas at the Atherton Gardens housing estate in Fitzroy. I also illustrated a kids book called ‘29 Things you Didn’t Know about me,’ which was published by Pan Macmillan a few months ago.
I’ve just come back from London and Paris, where I painted some walls, met with some artists and collaborators, and visited some amazing galleries and creative spaces. Travelling and being exposed to new creative energy has given me lots of inspiration for my own work now that I’m home again.
The most exciting project I’ve worked on this year was collaborating with London-based menswear designer Nicholas Daley. He and I first connected on Instagram, then he invited me to create some illustrations for his upcoming SS23 collection ‘Calypso’ which is inspired by Harry Belafonte and 1960s Jamaica. The collection will be released in early-2023 and looks amazing. It was a big buzz to see the lookbook featured in Vogue and to meet Nicholas and his team in London recently. His work has many layers of meaning and connection through it and he’s someone I admire a lot.
Coming up, I have my first-ever solo show launching at Lamington Drive later this month, a new fundraiser collab with an international charity organisation doing work that is close to my heart, plus some new public art projects in the pipeline. Hopefully there will be some more travel in the mix too.