Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy was born in Awka, Nigeria on 2 May 1952 and was displaced as a refugee in the Biafran War before finally settling in the family home in Umubele, Nigeria. In 1975, Chukwuogo-Roy moved to England to pursue her art studies, attending East Ham College before earning a BA in Graphic Design from Hornsey College of Art (now Middlesex Polytechnic) in 1978. Becoming a painter in 1988, In 2002, Chukwuogo-Roy was selected by The Commonwealth Secretariat to paint HM Queen Elizabeth II in honour of her Golden Jubilee. Among other notable works are her <em>African Diaspora</em> series of paintings depicting the African slave trade, commissioned by Black British athlete, Kriss Akabusi in 1996.
Artist Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy was born in Awka, Nigeria on 2 May 1952, but relocated with her family to Ikom in Cross Rivers State, where her father owned vast cocoa plantations. She displayed an early artistic talent, later recalling that ‘I was always drawing or making things out of broken bits of wood and on my way home from school I used to paint signs for the small businesses, like barbers who wanted the different styles they did to be on show’ (Cobbinah 2010). During her teenage years, she was displaced as a refugee in the Biafran War before settling in the family home in Umubele, Nigeria. Chukwuogo-Roy also suffered from a debilitating illness from childhood, which was eventually diagnosed as myasthenia gravis, a disorder that weakens the muscles.
In 1975, Chinwe, with great determination and resilience, moved to England to pursue her art studies (as art was not taught in Nigeria at that time), attending East Ham College before earning a BA Degree in Graphic Design from Hornsey College of Art (now Middlesex Polytechnic) in 1978. Although she started a graphic design company with a friend, his passion for fine art persisted, leading her to pursue portrait painting as her primary occupation in 1988. In an interview, Chukwuogo-Roy explained that she fell into portraiture almost by accident: ‘I was working as a freelance graphic artist but got married and had two children – meeting deadlines became very difficult […] I was always drawing my sons and other people asked me to do their children. I soon saw it was a way of earning money’ (Cobbinah 2010). Chukwuogo-Roy's artistic oeuvre encompassed a variety of media, including oils, etchings, monotypes, pastels and sculpture. Apart from portraiture, her subjects included still life (poppies and hibiscuses were a main source of inspiration), landscapes, and depictions of African traditions and cultures. Among her most notable work is the African Diaspora series of paintings depicting the African slave trade (1996) which were commissioned by athlete and television personality, Kriss Akabusi, whom she knew. As Chukwuogo-Roy commented: 'I am greatly inspired by people; but especially by the survival spirit and tenacity of the people of Africa. It is not surprising therefore that my portraiture has developed in the area of figurative historical paintings' (Donnell 2001, p. 266).
In 2002, Chukwuogo-Roy was commissioned by The Commonwealth Secretariat to create a portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II in honour of her Golden Jubilee. She painted the Queen as Head of the Commonwealth, wearing a diamond tiara, standing against an imaginary setting that incorporated notable architectural landmarks from various parts of the world, including the Taj Mahal, Houses of Parliament, and Sydney Opera House. Notably, Chukwuogo-Roy is one of only two African artists commissioned to create a portrait of the Queen, the other being Nigerian artist, Ben Enwonwu. Among Chukwuogo-Roy’s other sitters were Commonwealth Secretary General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and British Nigerian athlete, Kriss Akabusi. An avid supporter of Arsenal FC, she was commissioned by Martin Keown to paint Arsenal’s Highbury Stadium. In October 2007, she was artist in residence at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts (SCVA) outside Norwich, part of the centre's contribution to and celebration of Black History Month. Although acknowledging the importance of Black History Month to promote Black issues, the artist noted that ‘When I'm being written about or talked about it's always 'the black artist that painted the Queen' which I find almost an insult […] I can also say that have an issue with Black History Month because we shouldn't be boxed into that. We should now be recognised in all different walks of life as part of the society, but without having a time to say we're part of society […]. You cannot do one and be part of society, you cannot do the other and not be isolated – it is just a very difficult situation, but at least it gives us a platform to say we are here and this is what we do’ (BBC Norfolk interview).
Chukwuogo-Roy’s solo exhibitions included Masks and Masquerades, focusing on traditional masks of Igbo culture, and Africa: Past, Present and Future at the Royal Commonwealth Society, London (1999 and 2001, respectively). In 2008, her work was included in the exhibition Hawkins & Co. Curated by Kimathi Donkor at Liverpool's Contemporary Urban Centre (2008), the show explored different aspects of the culture and history of the transatlantic African-Caribbean diaspora, featuring the work of artists including George ‘Fowokan' Kelly and Keith Piper. In 2003, Chukwuogo-Roy represented the United Kingdom at the European Council Committee in Paris, advising on Contemporary African Art and Artists. The University of East Anglia awarded her an Honorary Doctorate of Letters in 2003, in recognition of her accomplishments. Additionally, in 2010, she was appointed MBE for her significant contributions to the field of art. Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy died at her home in Hacheston, Suffolk, England on 17 December 2012. In the UK public domain her work is represented in the Royal Collection Trust and the collection of the University of London at Senate House.