Portrait artist Akeem Hartman is reinventing one of art’s oldest forms

Before photography, painters were the ones who captured snapshots of mankind through portraits. Portraits are usually depictions of an interesting person, animal or a collection of them. Individual portraits of a person can be made by the artist who instructs them to stay still or be in a sitting position and can be done in different media such as drawing and painting.

Some of the best painters of that time created works of art which were intended to capture the true essence of their subject. It is for this reason that early portraits were oftentimes a representation of an individual, rather than their true likeness. However, portraiture has evolved throughout the years, thanks to civilisation.
Many of today’s artists are putting a modern twist on this age-old genre. Guyana’s very own Akeem Hartman creates spectacular portrait drawings which are well-detailed, easily capturing the public’s attention. He is only 20-years-old and hails from the mining community of Kwakwani, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
When he was just three, he migrated to Barbados and later returned to his homeland at age 14. Like many other art enthusiasts, Akeem fell in love with art from a very tender age. He told Guyana Times, “I have been an artist from a very young age; however, I have taken it very seriously for about five years or more. I want to develop into an artist so that I can help design things likes movies and games.”
When asked what his chief source of inspiration is, Akeem highlighted that it is his family, especially his mom. He explained that she shows care and love and wants him to grow each day.
Apart from his mother, he also has his own motivation and is highly self-disciplined. Even though he may not be the best at the moment, he continuously practices and works on being better in all of his succeeding artwork and generally in improving himself to become the best version of himself in the field.
As a matter of fact, he attained most of his formal education in art at the ER Burrowes School of Arts.
However, due to unforeseen circumstances, his journey was delayed and he wants to start as soon as possible to have his certificate. He further stated that he is very interested in taking the career path of becoming an animator, and in the next two to five years, he aspires to be recognised as one of greatest artists, having his own business and being able to teach young aspiring artists.
Not only does Akeem indulge in portrait drawing but he also focuses on leather craft, sculpture, tattoos, colour theory, graphics and painting. He is excellent at executing them. These are his other pastimes that he is very passionate about.
He shared, “For me, if I had to describe it, I would say it’s belief and passion, you have to believe in yourself. I am one who is passionate about my different styles, especially drawings, leather craft and tattoos that sometimes I don’t know what I am drawing but I draw. It is something I can’t live without. It’s my life.”
On the downside, Akeem describes becoming a full-time artist in Guyana as very challenging with limited opportunities.
“[Artists in Guyana] do not have the financial support; we need the right persons who are able to set us on the right track and show us the pros and cons of it and how it can be beneficial.” Nevertheless, the support of his friends and family has kept him going in pursuing his dream.
“They are very supportive and encourage me every day. Whenever I post my work on social media, I would often receive countless compliments and people would often share my work with other persons, some of which I have drawn for them or their family,” he stated.
Akeem has also provided some meaningful advice to anyone who wishes to pursue a career in the arts regardless of the challenges. He posited, “I want aspiring artists to stay true to their dream and have a positive attitude about it.”
According to the young artist, he has quotes that he lives by. One of them, he said, is by Dr Maya Angelou: “I believe every person is born with a talent” and “You may encounter many defeats but not be defeated.” In addition, Akeem is a big fan of renowned Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman who passed away recently.
In fact, he has created his own masterpiece of Boseman in the form of a portrait and has received overwhelming feedback and has gained incredible attention on Facebook.
His reaction to the viral post is, “First of all, let me say rest in peace to Chadwick who had extraordinary talent; sorry to see that he died too early but his life made a difference. The feedback was great and I did not expect it but it is good to know that persons acknowledged my work and I am very appreciative and thankful.”
To view more of Akeem’s phenomenal portraits or to have your portrait done, contact him on his Facebook page at Akeem Hartman and Instagram at portrait_artist_2.