Ken Nwadiogbu: ‘Contemporealism’

September 13, 2019

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From October 3 to 6, 2019, The Brick Lane Gallery, London, will present ‘Contemporealism’ by fast-rising Nigerian artist, Ken Nwadiogbu, the hyperrealist popularly known as KenArt.

Kenechukwu Nwadiogbu was born in 1994 in Lagos, Nigeria. He holds a BSc in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Lagos. Nwadiogbu works with charcoal on paper and has recently added collage to his résumé. He developed his considerable skill by studying the hyperrealistic works of several renowned artists. Nwadiogbu christens his art “Contemporealism,” a fusion of hyperrealism and contemporary art.

In his series ‘Ókótógbam,’ meaning “all and none,” human emotion, strength of character, ingenuity, and survival are all symbolised. The title is also meant to suggest that we are all characters who play the role of soldiers. Most of the works in the series feature a sheet of wrinkled paper with patches torn out of the centre. These patches are in the shape of adinkra symbols from Ghana, such as the symbol for okodee mmowere (the talons of an eagle).

Nwadiogbu has participated in several exhibitions and fairs both at home and abroad. In 2018, he was nominated for The Future Awards Africa Prize for Creativity. He founded the fast-growing creative companies Artland Contemporary Limited and KINGS Management. He also co-founded Artists Connect NG, the largest gathering of Nigerian artists, which holds in Lagos. In addition, he has been featured in local and international media, including CNN, BBC, Omenka, Life, Wired, and Africa Is Now.

Artist Dossier: Bodys Isek Kingelez