ABOUT KELECHI CHARLES NWANERI

Kelechi Charles Nwaneri is a self-taught Artist, born in Lagos State, Nigeria. He focused on the sciences during his early schooling years and went on to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural extension from the University of Nigeria in 2015. Inspired by Pencil Artists such as Kelvin Okafor, Arinze Stanley and Ken Nwadiogbu, he initially focused on Pencil Realism and has evolved to introducing other mediums such as Acrylic paints, collages, Watercolours and oil paints.

Nwaneri’s works stand somewhere between genres of Photorealism, Surrealism, Post-modernism and Contemporary art but perfectly fits into what he calls Contemporary Surrealism. His work deals with issues of our present time, his use of multimedia and the conceptual feel in his works.

A major characteristic of his work is the use of West-African Iconography, mystical, metaphysical, allegorical concepts and the Black Hybrid Figure (inspired by the idea of Scars and African Tribal Marks).  Nwaneri’s work has been shown in exhibitions within and outside his country of residence and he won the annual Visual Art competition (2018) organised by the Spanish embassy in Abuja, Nigeria. He currently lives and works in Lagos state, Nigeria.

Solo Exhibitions

2020: ‘Modern Marks’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa

Group Exhibitions

2021: ‘In [the] Loop’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa

2021: ‘Stop, Listen!’, CFHILL, Stockholm, Sweden

2020: Intersect Chicago online edition of SOFA Expo, Chicago, United States of America

2020: 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, London, UK with Gallery 1957, Accra, Ghana

2020: 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, New York, United States of America with     EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa

2020: ‘ALL THE DAYS AND NIGHT’, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, United Kingdom

2020: ‘Doors, eyes and tribal marks’, AKKA Project, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

2019: ‘STASIS’, SMO Contemporary Art Gallery, Temple Musée, Victoria Island Lagos, Nigeria.

2019: ‘SECRET GARDEN’, ODA gallery, Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa

2018: ‘Ode to mankind’, Artyrama Gallery, CFAO building, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria

2018: ‘Spanish Festivals and traditional celebrations’, Thoughts Pyramids Gallery, Maitama, Abuja, Nigeria

2016: ‘Exploring the Goldmine Inherent in Nigerian Creative Industries’, National Festival for Art   and Culture (NAFEST), Ibom Hall, Uyo, Nigeria

Public Collections

Africa First Collection, Tel Aviv, Israel

Embassy of Spain, Abuja, Nigeria

Press:

Dreams That Money Can Buy: An Interview with Kelechi Nwaneri by Paul Laster

Whitehot Magazinge – Now’s The Tiime: Eight African Painters

The 1-54 Studio Visit Series: Kelechi Nwaneri