Odinakachi Okoroafor

Odinakachi Okoroafor lives and works in Enugu, Nigeria. His artistic journey began early, when a passion for drawing led him to pursue formal studies in art, first in technical education and later at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Okoroafor’s practice is marked by precision and conceptual depth: inspired by barcode structures and lace motifs, his works examine the black body as a site of memory, resistance, and layered histories. Often created through a combination of screen printing, delicate brushwork, and image transfer techniques, his paintings evoke the physical and symbolic scars of identity, labor, and inherited trauma.

Since his first exhibition in 2010, Okoroafor has steadily gained international attention. His solo shows include Ogadinma (Kutlesa Gallery, Switzerland, 2021), L’equilibrio della sintesi (Milan, 2022), and Children Not Bride (Ivory Coast, 2023). He has exhibited in major group shows such as 1-54 London, Art X Lagos, Christie’s New York (Say it Loud), and WOPART in Lugano. His work has entered important collections across Europe, the United States, Africa, and Asia, and he has taken part in acclaimed residencies and awards including the Kunyehia Art Prize and the Rele Gallery Residency. Okoroafor stands today as a singular voice in contemporary art—an artist who channels the political and poetic dimensions of lived experience into a highly personal and resonant visual language.