ABOUT THE ARTIST
I was born in 1993 in the city of Owerri in the South East of Nigeria. I very quickly learned about the beauty and perils of my country. I moved to Ireland with my family at the age of 9 and soon began to dream in English rather than my native languageIgbo. I grew up in a little town in the South West of Ireland called Shannon. These two places played a pivotal role in my worldview. My artistic journey started in Nigeria, during the more turbulent years of my childhood and continued to develop in Ireland. I was well known for art and football in my town.During my late teen years, I was able to display and sell some of my artwork in a gallery in Limerick. However, I took a long break to pursue my educational qualifications. Upon completing my BSc and MSc in Psychology I picked up my paintbrush again.Within the last few years, I have been able to create a good body of work. Quite recently I was selected for Sky Portrait Artist of the Year and was shortlisted during the competition. I am also working on several collections, which will be made available during the winter of this year (2022).
From a young boy navigating the world in the southeast of Nigeria to a young boy navigating the southwest of Ireland. My artwork tells the stories of those who have been unheard throughout history and at present. Telling stories of faces, figures, objects and places. Faces once thought unbeautiful, faces once feared and mocked. My vision is to tell the stories of these faces not as an outsider, but from within. My approach to my artwork is quite instinctual, I approach a canvas without any preconceived end result. Each brushstroke aimed to convey the feelings of the subject. The process of painting is discomforting, as I have no rules or methods just a sense of vulnerability until I realise my creation. For me this is the beauty of it.