Sierra Tanzi
Art Director
In art, some creators paint with colors, sculpt with emotions and make their visions into reality. Today, The Anchor has the privilege of showcasing work by Michael Edem, a master of his craft, to delve into the inspiration and innovation behind his mesmerizing works. Edem is a computer science major with a studio art minor currently attending his last semester at RIC. During his free time, Edem works at the IT Help Desk and enjoys keeping his hands busy working with various art forms.
While the piece Edem submitted has no official name, he claimed that his friends “have lovingly given it the name of ‘Iron Man, but he crawled out of the bargain bin at Walmart.’” This piece is a full-body, “sci-fi styled” suit of armor that features a light-up chest and helmet and can be worn or displayed on a stand for all to see. “Since Halloween is coming up shortly, I thought I could submit my costume for the newspaper,” Edem said.
In his younger years, Edem enjoyed sci-fi video games such as “Halo” and other games involving characters clothed in armors like the one submitted to The Anchor. Since then, it has been a goal for Edem to create a suit of armor of his own. This suit was constructed from individual “armor parts'' composed of specialized EVA foam and held together by duct tape, glue, straps and velcro. These pieces were later attached to an inexpensive surf suit. Edem stated, "The new armor designed from stronger materials like EVA foam is much more durable and flexible, allowing me to wear it at events like Comic Con and Halloween contests.”
Edem does not have a single inspiration. Instead, he’s inspired by other artists and their opinions on his work. “I always value what people have to say about my art,” Edem begins, “especially if they are artists themselves. Their input helps a lot in inspiring me to make more art pieces.” The old phrase “cut once, measure twice” helped Edem stay on track to create this project. Edem often found himself wanting to cut corners to make his job easier. He learned that by doing so, the project didn’t fit together in the correct ways. “...As much as I wanted to, I couldn't let myself get lazy while working on this art piece,” Edem stated.
Edem believes there isn’t a point in creating art if it does not bring you fulfillment. Edem said, “I believe all good art is fueled by desire and passion from the artist, so nothing is more important than making sure that you’re invested in the artwork you're making…keeping up that desire can be challenging with things like writer's block, but if you stick with it, the result can be infinitely more rewarding.”
The Anchor would like to thank Michael Edem for sharing his creative journey with us. His passion, dedication, and unique perspective as an artist have offered us valuable insights into the world of art. We look forward to witnessing his continued growth and artistic evolution, and we're excited to see what new horizons they will explore.
If you wish to join Edem in putting yourself and your work out there, email the Anchor Art Director at artdirector@anchorweb.org with your name, a picture or video of your submission, and a brief description.
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