Chike Obeagu

Overview

Chike Obeagu is a visual artist, curator and writer whose work explores the dualism of human nature and its social manifestations.

He is best known for his large scale, expressive mixed-media paintings, which incorporate elements of collage. Obeagu combines colorful compositions and geometric patterns, using torn pages from magazines and commercial advertisements. He explores the experiences of the everyday through narratives of music, politics, religion, family and kinship.

Obeagu's work has been exhibited in many international exhibitions including Dak'Art (Senegal), the Hood Museum of Art (USA), Richard Taittinger Gallery (New York), Art Expo (New York), and Art X Lagos. In 2015, he was included in the Imago Mundi project in conjunction with the Venice Biennale's 56th International Art Exhibition at Fondazione Giorgio Cini.

Chike Obeagu has also devoted significant attention to his academic pursuits in art. After obtaining his Bachelor and MFA degrees at University of Nigeria Nsukka, he is currently pursuing his PhD. from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Biography

“Life for me is inherently dualistic and consists of two fundamental principles that complement, contradict and elucidate. My work explores ideas embedded in dualism using social, political and cultural narratives that are laced with metaphors.

While I explore with a variety of materials and processes, my current practice is focused on the use of photo-collage for its suppleness that helps me deconstruct and reconstruct notions that mirror the realities of life.”

- Chike Obeagu

Born in 1975 in Enugu, Nigeria, Chike Obeagu earned a Bachelor of Art and Master of Fine Art degrees in 1998 and 2003 at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, graduating with magna and summa cum laude respectively. He is a PhD candidate at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.

He has won several awards including First Prize at the 2011 National Arts Competition in Nigeria, the UNODC Award for Partnership in Combating TIP (Trafficking in Persons) and SOM (Smuggling of Migrants), and the W.K Kellogg Foundation/ Ford Foundation Awards, Prince Clause Fund for Culture and Development, among others.

In 2014, Obeagu was one of the 62 artists selected to show his work in the Dakar Biennale’s International Exhibition of African and African Diaspora. He has participated extensively in exhibitions, biennials, residencies, and workshops in Nigeria and internationally.

Works