È emersa come uno dei principali artisti della sua generazione. Ha vinto numerosi premi internazionali e le sue opere sono presenti in diverse collezioni in Europa, Africa e Stati Uniti d'America.
Biografia Cresciuta a Nsukka, in Nigeria, nel 1999 ha conseguito la laurea con lode in Pittura presso l'Università della Nigeria. Fra il 2004 e il 2005 ha ottenuto un Master of Arts e successivamente anche un Master of Fine ArtsIl Master of Fine Arts differisce dal Master of Arts in quanto il programma accademico di quest'ultimo riguardano lo studio scientifico e critico di una particolare disciplina, mentre il Master of Fine Arts ha un'impronta di tipo pratico. in scultura presso l'Università dello Iowa. Artista di fama internazionale, ha fatto carriera anche nel campo dell'insegnamento ed attualmente è professore associato e presidente del dipartimento di arte presso la North Park University di Chicago.
Opere Il lavoro di Nnenna Okore ruota intorno al concetto di riciclaggio: l'artista riutilizza e trasforma oggetti di scarto in elaborate sculture ed installazioni con tecniche manuali che comprendono la tessitura, la cucitura, la tintura, apprese guardando i suoi compatrioti nigeriani svolgere le proprie attività quotidiane. Predilige materiali biodegradabili quali vecchi giornali, carta, filati, caffè, amido, argilla per creare forme organiche e astratte, ispirate in gran parte da texture, colori e paesaggi africani.
Filosofia di lavoro L'artista si dichiara attratta dai fenomeni naturali, dal processo di invecchiamento e di decadenza che inevitabilmente aggredisce ogni creatura vivente e perfino ogni materiale inorganico. Con le sue opere intende portare avanti una riflessione sulla precarietà dell'esistenza e sulle possibilità di migliorare e preservare l'ambiente.
Mostre personali (selezione) 2011 Nnenna Okore: New Works, Herron School of Art and Design Gallery, University of Indiana, Indianapolis, USA. *Shokoloko, Craft Alliance, St. Louis, USA. Rush, Skidmore College Gallery, New York, USA. Metamorphoses, October Gallery, London, UK. Torn Apart, David Krut Projects, New York, USA. On The Edge, Dittmar Memorial Gallery, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA. 2010 Life After, Noyes Art Center, Evanston, USA. Textile, Blachere Fondation Art Center, Apt, France. Recovered Energies, Bekris Gallery, San Francisco, USA. Absurd Beauty, Northeastern Illinois University Art Gallery, Chicago, USA. 2009 Anyanwu, Carl A. Fields Center Gallery, Princeton University, USA. Strings and Patterns, Viberto University Gallery, La Crosse, USA. Twisted Ambience, Chicago Cultural Center, USA. Of Earth....Barks and Topography, Goethe Institut, Lagos, Nigeria 2008 Ulukububa-Infinite Flow, October Gallery, London. Moonlight Tales, Tall Grass Association, (Chicago) Park Forest, USA. Affrika West, Oriel Mostyn Gallery, Llandudno, UK. 2007 Reflection: A Nigerian Experience, Contemporary African Art Gallery, New York City, USA. Sub-consciousness, Adam Hall Gallery, Wheaton College, Wheaton, USA. 2006 Betwixt and Between, Carlson Gallery, North Park University, Chicago, USA. Trans-figuration, Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery, Moraine Valley Community College, USA. 2005 Paper to Paper, Armature Art Gallery, University of Iowa, USA. 2004 Accumulations, Arts Iowa City, Iowa City, USA. 2003 Re-presented, Armature Gallery, University of Iowa, USA. 2002 Beyond the Lines, Didi Museum, Lagos, Nigeria. 2001 Metaphors, Alternative space, Lagos, Nigeria.
Mostre collettive (selezione) 2011 Environment and Object in Recent African Art, Anderson Gallery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA. Transcending Integration, Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, USA. Environment and Object in Recent African Art, Tang Museum, Skidmore College, New York City, USA. 2010 Scratch, presented by Sakshi Gallery at Latit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India. (Re-) Cycles of Paradise, UN COP16, Cancun, Mexico. 29th Sao Paulo Biennial, Sao Paulo, Brasil. Textile, Blachere Fondation Art Center, Apt, France. 2009 (Re-) Cycles of Paradise, in association with the UN COP15, Copenaghen, Denmark. In Progress, Group show at Calson Tower Gallery, North Park University, Chicago, USA. Common Ground, Bekris Gallery, San Francisco, USA. Chance Encounters- touring exhibition, Sakshi Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan. Trash Menagerie, Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, USA. Paper to Pulp, HC Center for the Arts, Ellicott City, USA. Transvangarde, October Gallery, London. Chance Encounters, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai, India. Object of A Revolution, Galerie Dominique Fait, Paris. Trace/Memory, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, USA. 2008 Afganza Africa, October Gallery, London. Affrika West, Galeri Artspace, Caernarfon, UK. Channel4 Art Exhibition, Channel4/Art4 Gallery, London. Second Lives: Remixing the Ordinary, Museum of Art and Design, New York City, USA. Refabrication, by Nnenna Okore, Linda Gordon, and Kirstin Demer. Carlson Gallery, North Park University, USA. Clay and Fibre, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, USA. Joburg Art Fair, (sponsored by October Gallery) Sandton Convention Center, Johannesburg, SA. Trading Spaces, Binghamton University, USA. 2006 African Contemporary Art Exhibition, Dakar Biennale, Senegal. 2005 Twelfth SOFA International Exposition, Chicago, USA. 8th International Open Exhibition, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, USA. 2003 Migrations, Legion Arts CSPS, Cedar Rapids, USA. Units, Legion Arts CSPS, Cedar Rapids, USA. 2002 New Works, Armature Gallery, University of Iowa. Curator: Thomas Aprile, Professor of Art, University of Iowa, USA. 2001 New Energies, Nimbus Gallery and Mydrim Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria Curator: Prof. El Anatsui, University of Nigeria.
Conferenze e Workshop 2011 Visiting Artist, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA. Visiting Artist, Herron school of Art and Design, University of Indiana, Indianapolis, USA. Guest Artist, Tang Museum, Skidmore College, New York, USA. 2010 Guest Artist, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, USA. Visiting Artist, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, USA. Visiting Artist, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, USA. 2009 Guest Artist, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, USA. Guest Artist, Princeton University, Princeton, USA. Guest Artist, Viterbo University, La Crosse, USA. Guest Artist, Time Line Lecture series, Museum of African Art, New York City, USA. 2008 Visiting Artist, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA.
Pubblicazioni Nnenna Okore, Polly Savage, “Nnenna Okore: ulukububa: infinite flow”, October Gallery, 2008. Nnenna Okore, “Reclaiming the waste”, University of Iowa, 2004. Nnenna Okore, ”Exploring space”, University of Iowa, 2005
Collezioni Newark Museum, New Jersey, USA Jean Paul Blachere Fondation, France Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, USA Royal Collections, Abu Dhabi, UEA Art House Contemporary Limited, Nigeria Channel 4, London, UK Renaissance Capital, Moscow, Russia Daraja Art Foundation, London, UK
Premi e riconoscimenti Artist-in-residence/Teaching Fellowship, Skidmore College, New York, USA. (2011) Artist Residency, Jean Paul Blachere Foundation, Apt, France. (2010) Artist-in-residence, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, USA. (2010) North Park University Faculty Project Grant, USA. (2008) Residency at Instituto Rural de Arte Hoz del Jucar, Spain. (2007) Artist Full Fellowship at Global Art Village, Delhi, India. (2007) Residency at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, USA. (2007) UNESCO-Aschberg Fellowship for Artists (Gruber Jez Foundation, Mexico). (2007) Red Gate Residency, Beijing, China. (2006) North Park University Research Award, USA. (2005) SFAI Residency, Santa Fe Art Institute, USA. (2005) Graduate Assistantship, University of Iowa, USA. (2005) Emma McAllister Novel Scholarship, University of Iowa, USA. (2004) Teaching Assistantship, University of Iowa, USA. (2002-2005) Valedictorian (Fine Arts), University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. (1999) First prize, UNIFEM Women's Art Contest, Lagos, Nigeria. (1994) First prize, UNICEF African Child's Day Art Contest, Mbabane, Swaziland. (1993)
Note
Bibliografia Kate McCrickard, “Waste Management/Things Torn Apart”, Art South Africa, Volume 9.4, 2011. McPhillip Nwachukwu, “Nigerian Art Market....,says Nnenna Okore”, Vanguard, 2010. Jessica Hemmings, “Material Meaning”, Wasafiri Magazine, Issue 63, 2010. Jessica Kronika, “Nnenna Okore's art .... recycled material installation, The Examiner, 2009. Mike Giuliano, “Visual Arts: Five artists 'paper' the arts center”, Howard County Times, 2009. Jessica Scarlata, “Second lives: remixing the ordinary”, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, 2008. ISBN 978-1-890385-14-9 October Gallery, Gerard Houghton, “Nnenna Okore: Metaphorphoses”, October Gallery, 2011. ISBN 1899542353
Voci correlate Arte contemporanea africana
Altri progetti
Collegamenti esterni