Nengi Omuku was born in Warri, Nigeria in 1987, spending her teenage years there until she was 16, after which she moved to England for her A-levels. She trained in fine art at the Slade School of Fine Art in London, graduating in 2012. Omuku's paintings ddelve deeply into themes of gender, cultural roots, and race, with an emphasis on the mental and emotional spaces within an individual and their projection onto the physical world. Intrigued by Nigeria's pre-colonial understanding of dress, Omuku paints on <em>sanyan</em>, a traditional Nigerian fabric made from wild silk and used for draped garments.
Artist Nengi Omuku was born in Warri, Nigeria in 1987, where she remained until age 16, after which she moved to England for her A-levels. She initially acquired skills in floristry and horticulture under the guidance of her mother before pursuing her BA and MA at the Slade School of Fine Art, University of London, graduating in 2012. Omuku's paintings explore themes of gender, cultural roots, and race. She navigates the subtleties and nuances associated with identity and diversity in her work, with an emphasis on the mental and emotional spaces within an individual and their projection onto the physical world. A primary concern is the adaptive mechanisms that the body must undergo to achieve a sense of belonging. Omuku reflects on how the body is in a continuous process of choosing and amassing its identity, considering its mental, physical, and emotional aspects. Her creative process typically begins with a sketch, which is often a reaction to a recent event or something she has observed. Once the drawing is complete, she begins to paint.
Omuku is best known for paintings that feature vividly coloured anthropomorphic shapes and indistinct figures, often depicted in pairs or groups. These are usually set amid luxuriant foliage, and other elements representing the richness of nature. Drawing inspiration from both historical and contemporary images from Nigerian press and media, Omuku crafts environments where the line between bodies and nature often becomes indistinct, exploring the complexities involved in finding one's place and a sense of mutual belonging. Her approach to depicting the human form as patches of colour and shape is driven by her intention to portray the body as fragmented, a sentiment that arose when she relocated from Nigeria to England. This fragmentation represents a convergence of worlds and experiences, depicted through colour and form, all striving to maintain a sense of unity. Omuku's ethereal, almost otherworldly figures, devoid of facial attributes, hint at a certain anonymity or universality, akin to the role of the chorus in Greek theatre (Rea 2022). Furthermore, her choice to paint faceless figures mirrors her interest in how the body's portrayal could transcend mere representation and concentrate instead on the sitter's or the collective's mindset. The theme of 'becoming' frequently emerges, with 'references to creationism, baptism, and ritual, while the paintings themselves bear witness to the imaginative prowess of faith, daydream, and empathy' (Kasmin Gallery). Intrigued by Nigeria's pre-colonial concepts of dress, Omuku employs sanyan, a traditional Nigerian fabric made from wild silk and used for draped garments. She paints directly onto this fabric, which she stitches together into strips. When she saw this material Omuku declared, ‘it was like a spiritual experience for me; the feel of it, the craftsmanship, its history and age’ (cited in Walton 2020). She also regards sanyan as 'a vessel' encapsulating Nigerian heritage (Something Curated). The outcome of this process resembles a modern wall hanging, displayed on rods, with the perimeter of the picture plane extended by uneven fabric patches surrounding it. This choice of fabric also influenced her painting style; the rough texture of sanyan leading her brush strokes to become noticeably freer and looser.
Omuku has exhibited extensively in group and solo shows, including the prestigious Jerwood Drawing Prize at the Jerwood Gallery, London (2012). In 2022, Omuku presented her solo show, Parables of Joy, at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London, reflecting her personal journey towards joy in the aftermath of the global Covid pandemic. This path towards happiness corresponded with the artist's reconnection with nature during her residency at Kobomoje Artist Residency in Ibadan, Nigeria. She also participated in What Lies Beneath: Women, Politics, Textiles at the New Hall Art Collection, University of Cambridge (2022). In 2023 Omuku featured in Rites of Passage at Gagosian, London, curated by Péjú Oshin, which included contemporary artists who share a common thread of migratory history.
Omuku's commissions include a mural for an intensive care psychiatric ward at the Maudsley Hospital in London (2018), supported by Arts Council England. Omuku is deeply committed to making contemporary art accessible as a therapeutic form for individuals in difficult situations. This passion led her to found The Art of Healing, a charitable organisation based in Nigeria. TAOH collaborates with distinguished contemporary artists, aiming to enhance the living conditions of hospital patients by transforming their rooms into more aesthetic and therapeutic spaces. In 2023, Omuku received an invitation for the Civitella Ranieri Residency in Italy, scheduled for 2024, subsequent to her 2022–2023 residency at Black Rock Senegal. She has received several prestigious awards, including the British Council CHOGM Art Award, which was presented to her by HRH Queen Elizabeth II in 2003. Additionally, in 2021, she was awarded a residency by the World Trade Organisation, orchestrated by the African Art Foundation in Geneva. Omuku's first major UK solo exhibition was held at Hastings Contemporary in 2023–24.She is currently based in Lagos, Nigeria. Her work is not represented in UK public collections.
Consult items in the Ben Uri archive related to [Nengi Omuku ]
Publications related to [Nengi Omuku ] in the Ben Uri Library