ONYEKA IBE: Painting the Town Red, Gold and Blue

Onyeka Ibe was born in Nigeria in 1971 and moved to the United States in 1998. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, he studied at Georgia State University and Pratt Institute in New York, achieving his master’s degree in fine arts. Today, Ibe is a contemporary artist located in New York. His work, which embodies many styles and subjects, has been showcased in major galleries and museums around the world and has been featured in numerous public and private collections.

Ibe’s most recent work questions identity and focuses on indigenous forms and content in African art and architecture. Reflecting on his experience of growing up in Nigeria, he gives context to the marginalized and forgotten communities of his native country. The body of work draws inspiration from the structural elements of houses in African villages. While the middle – and upper – classes built their homes out of higher quality materials, the lower class relied on mud, slates, wooden poles and found materials for their house construction.
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