Sketching in Moving Trotros Sharpened my Craft – Enil Art

Ghanaian visual artist Israel Derrick Apeti, popularly known as Enil Art, has revealed that one of the biggest turning points in his artistic journey came from challenging himself to sketch with a pen inside moving trotro vehicles.

Speaking in an interview, the artist explained that after years of working with pencils, he intentionally switched to pens to improve his precision and confidence, despite the inability to erase mistakes. He said drawing in moving public transport made the challenge even greater because of the constant movement of the vehicle.

“Well, it’s a challenge I put on myself. I had already practiced drawing with a pencil for a long time, and there was this idea that drawing with a pen is hard because you can’t erase it and there’s no room for correction,” he said.

Enil Art explained that he deliberately embraced the difficult conditions to strengthen his artistic ability.

“I wanted to be perfect. I wanted to be good at drawing, so at one point I started drawing with a pen. I thought it would be an even bigger challenge for me to do that in a trotro because the vehicle is also shaking. So it was a good challenge for me to master my skills by practicing in the most uncomfortable situations using the unforgiving pen,” he added.

Beyond improving his technical skills, the artist said interacting with commuters while sketching has given him valuable insights into human behaviour and emotions.

“Art hasn’t really changed my perception about people. It’s just made me learn about people and how they react to things individually. Someone might be happy with the sketch, someone might be sad, someone might cry, and someone else might be angry,” he noted.

He recalled one incident where a trotro driver prevented him from presenting a sketch to a passenger, describing it as another lesson about the different ways people respond to situations.

Reflecting on his artistic journey, Enil Art expressed regret over failing to preserve his earliest sketches and paintings.

“I wish I had kept all my sketches and paintings from when I was younger. I wish I had documented them well because those were the beginning stages, and they tell your origin story. They’re evidence of how you have developed,” he said.

He encouraged young artists to document their creative journeys, describing early works as an important record of growth and personal development.