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Nengi Omuku

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Nengi Omuku
Born
Nengi Omuku

Born 1987
NationalityNigerian
Alma materSlade School of Fine Art, University College London
Occupation(s)Artist, photographer
Known forArtist, sculpture
AwardsBritish Council CHOGM art award
Websitenengiomuku.com

Nengi Omuku (born August 9, 1987 in Warri, Nigeria) is a Nigerian creative artist, sculptor and painter.[1][2][3] Omuku is a visual artist known for her expressive paintings that explore themes of identity, mental journeying, and mutual belonging. Her work often features abstracted figures set against vibrant, celestial landscapes, drawing inspiration from the natural world and creationism. Omuku currently lives and works between Lagos, Nigeria, and London, UK. [4]

Early life and education

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Born in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria, Omuku spent her childhood in Nigeria, where she developed an interest in art from a young age. Her mother worked as a florist and horticulturist, which informed Omuku's later art.[5][6][7]

At 16, she moved to England to pursue her A-level studies, marking the beginning of her formal education in the arts. The transition from Nigeria to the UK introduced her to new cultural influences, which, combined with her early experiences in Nigeria, contributed to the fluid, expressive style that characterizes her work. Omuku studied both her B.A. and M.A in Fine art at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London.[8][4][9]

Work

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Themes

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Nengi Omuku's work explores themes of identity, transformation, displacement, and collective experience. Her paintings often depict fluid, ethereal figures set against dreamlike landscapes, reflecting notions of psychological and emotional states. A central aspect of her practice is the concept of mutual belonging, where she investigates the ways in which people navigate personal and shared histories. Drawing from her experiences of living between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, Omuku frequently addresses themes of migration and the fluidity of selfhood.[10]

Her work is also deeply influenced by mental health and the inner workings of the human mind. She has referenced the psychological impact of space, memory, and trauma, incorporating elements of abstraction to evoke shifting realities. Additionally, Omuku integrates textiles—particularly handwoven Nigerian fabrics—into her paintings, merging traditional materials with contemporary artistic expression. This use of fabric serves as a metaphor for cultural heritage and transformation, reinforcing the themes of movement and adaptation that define her body of work.[11]

Notable works

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  • I can't feel my legs, March 2012, oil on canvas, 220 x 160 cm.
  • Botticelli, April 2012, oil on canvas, 100 x 140 cm.
  • Corkscrew October 2014.[12]
  • Room with a view, 2020, oil on sanyan 130 x 190 cm[13]
  • What was lost, 2020, oil on sanyan 208 x 243 cm[14]

Awards

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Nengi Omuku's artistic work has won her scholarships and awards, including the British Council CHOGM art award presented by Her majesty Queen Elizabeth II.[15][16][17]

  • 2012 Prankerd Jones Memorial Prize Awarded by University College London
  • 2011 Nancy Balfour MA Scholarship Awarded by University College London
  • 2003 Winner- British Council CHOGM art competition Awarded by Queen Elisabeth II

Exhibitions

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Solo exhibitions

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  • Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Berlin (2021)
  • Gathering, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London (2020)
  • Stages of Collapse, September Gray, Atlanta (2017)
  • A State of Mind, The Armory Show, New York (2016)
  • A State of Mind, Omenka Gallery, Lagos (2015)
  • To Figure an Encounter, Open The Gate, London (2011).

Group exhibitions

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  • La Galerie, Contemporary art Center, Noisy-le-Sec (2021)
  • All the Days and Nights, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London (2020)
  • Untitled Art San Francisco, with Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, San Francisco (2020)
  • 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, London (2019), Hospital Rooms, Griffin Gallery, London (2018)
  • At work, Arthouse, Lagos (2018); ARTX, Lagos (2017)
  • Commotion, 1:54, London (2017); Mapping Histories, Constructing Realities, ART15, London (2015)
  • The Next 50 Years, Omenka Gallery, Lagos (2014)
  • Jerwood Drawing Prize Exhibition, Jerwood Gallery, London (2012).
  • Deep Cuts Last Measures, Stephen Lawrence Gallery, London (2011)
  • Surplus to Requirements, Slade Research Center, London (2011)
  • The Future of Contemporary Art, Lloyd Gill Gallery, Bristol (2010)
  • Group Exhibition, Swiss Cottage Gallery, London (2010)
  • Group Exhibition, Camden Art Gallery, London (2009)

Commissions

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  • Arts Council England to paint a mural in an intensive care psychiatric ward in Maudsley hospital, London (2018)
  • HSBC Art Collection,
  • Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection
  • Dawn Art Collection

References

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  1. ^ "Nengi Omuku". Creatives Database. 1 May 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  2. ^ Onuzo, Chibundu (17 June 2021). "'If you are of the camp that wants to keep the art world an exclusive club, then look away now'". The Art Newspaper. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  3. ^ SamDuru, Prisca (8 October 2018). "Artwork exhibition in London captures trauma of Nigerian youths". Vanguard News. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Nengi Omuku – Biography". SMO Contemporary Art. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  5. ^ "Interview: Nigerian Painter Nengi Omuku On Precolonial Textiles, Floristry & Mental Health". Something Curated. 15 June 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  6. ^ McGivern, Hannah. "How Moving Back to Her Home Country of Nigeria Changed the Course of Artist Nengi Omuku's Career". Cultured. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  7. ^ Everall, Jon (5 December 2023). "Rising Nigerian artist Nengi Omuku introduces her first major UK solo show". Creative Boom. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  8. ^ Uzoho, Victor Ifeanyi (24 January 2018). "Six artists for Arthouse' s At Work 2018 exhibition". guardian.ng. The Guardian Nigeria. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  9. ^ Mitter, Siddhartha (8 February 2019). "Lagos, City of Hustle, Builds an Art 'Ecosystem'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Processing an Impossible Year Through Art". Harper's BAZAAR. 28 December 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  11. ^ Article, Annikka Olsen ShareShare This (29 September 2023). "Get a Closer Look at Lagos-Based Artist Nengi Omuku's Intricate Textile Paintings—Made on Traditional Nigerian Cloth". Artnet News. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  12. ^ "NENGI OMUKU". Contemporary And (in German). Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  13. ^ Walton, Millie (4 December 2020). "Painting the Collective: An Interview with Nengi Omuku". Trebuchet. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Nengi Omuku – Works". Kristin Hjellegjerde. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Nengi Omuku – Overview". Kristin Hjellegjerde. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  16. ^ "Nengi Omuku – September Gray". Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Nengi Omuku". www.artskop.com. Retrieved 9 August 2021.