Isaac Emokpae Nigeria, b. 1977
Isaac Emokpae is a visual artist, painter, and photographer, whose approach to art is based broadly on the principle of duality. Emokpae’s practice combines elements of expressionist and surrealism, with a focus on the texture of the canvas, bold colours and unusual figures and forms.
Emokpae is often inspired by people, interpersonal relationships and personal experiences.
Born in 1977, Emokpae was introduced to art by his father, the pioneering modernist Erhabor Emokpae. He received a BA in Creative Arts at the University of Lagos, studying under the tutelage of Professor Abayomi Barber. Before focusing on painting, he worked primarily as a photographer. Emokpae has won numerous awards including the UNESCO Save Our Treasures art competition in Troyes, France in 1996, and the Hasselblad Masters (semi-finalist award) for photography in 2007. In 2019, he was selected by the Alliance Francaise as the lead artist representing Nigeria in a joint art exchange with the UAE. In 2018, he performed live art as part of the Special Projects section during Art X Lagos.
