Oshe was evidently influenced by his daily exposure to the poster advertising Liverpool Overhead Railway which adorned the kitchen wall of his childhood home. The noise, dirt and pace of the scene were subdued by the efficient balance of colours and shapes. Emotions of ‘being there’ seemed quite possible. The Mersey was even a beautiful, rich, Mediterranean blue – what was this sorcery? There had to be more to it!
In his artworks the complexities of real life are reduced to a simplified vision, peripheral elements are removed and colours limited, leaving the viewer to enjoy form without distraction. The onlooker can experience more a sense of place rather than time. ‘The human brain is s very clever bit of kit and visually we only need half the information to make sense of the full picture – its just knowing which half and what colour!’ He believes a healthy appetite for the three-dimensional, tactile, wonder that is Lego, painting cart horses (by numbers) as a child, and later on, a love of poster art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries have all influenced the way he portrays the world in these luxe vistas.
When asked about his logo: ‘I’m often asked why the Oshe badge looks like it does and is so far removed from the actual images I create. Well I’ve always had a thing about fruit stickers. They are delightful little, colourful, graphic morsels which, by default, show sunshine and/or bright colours – what’s not to like? Plus they were around before stickers were cool so they have this lovely, inherent heritage vibe. I feel a simple badge works for me as a commissionable artist so I have a little stickers that can that sit alongside my work and all associated material (Actually its more than likely just an excuse to make my own fruit stickers!).