"It's the quietest voices that speak the loudest." Okoye Chukwuemeka
OOA GALLERY (Out of Africa Gallery)
29 days left
"It's the quietest voices that speak the loudest." Okoye Chukwuemeka
OOA GALLERY (Out of Africa Gallery)
29 days left
Sorella Acosta, Director & Art Curator of OOA GALLERY in conversation with Okoye Chukwuemeka John some days before his solo show "Little Things that Matter".
Art became a means of expression.
SA: It's fascinating that you turned to art as a form of communication during a time when words felt like barriers. How did your journey evolve from there, and what role did the University of Uyo play in shaping your artistic identity?
OC: Art has always been my way of breaking through barriers, making me feel fearless and understood in ways that words never could. Growing up, verbal communication was a challenge for me, and when I faced additional struggles at the University of Uyo, I realized I had to push myself even further. My approach to painting was different from my peers, and my goal was uniquely mine, I wasn’t just painting for myself. Art became a means of expression, not only for me but for those who couldn’t speak for themselves. This realization fueled my dedication, pushing me to refine my craft and make a meaningful impact through my work.
SA: What inspired your interest in portraits?
OC: My shift to portraiture, especially self-portraits and characters set against landscapes or interiors was a natural progression of this journey. I became increasingly interested in capturing human expression and the stories behind faces, without bias in their rawest and truest form. This explorative nature of mine will always push me to test the boundaries of my art, continuously evolving and refining my voice as an artist.
Okoye Chukwuemeka John - Umoren - 2025 - 119cm H x 81cm W - Oil on canvas
SA: How do you engage with your models before painting their portraits
OC: My process begins with the initial search for a model whose essence aligns with the theme and idea I want to portray, someone whose life and experiences resonate with the story I aim to tell. But it doesn’t stop there. I take it a step further by getting to know them on a deeper level, understanding their personal and interpersonal narratives. This connection allows me to capture their truth more authentically, ensuring that the emotions in my portraits are not just seen but felt.
Okoye Chukwuemeka John - Am still here I - 2025 - 72cm H x 60cm W - Oil on canvas
SA: How do you approach the act of emotional release in your work?
OC : My work is a portal through which I explore and showcase diverse emotions and ideas—where people from all walks of life can find something to relate to on a psychological and emotional level. This is why choosing the right model is so important to me. Each person I work with has a unique story, and every piece I create reflects that story on a deeper, artistic level. Emotional release is not something I force ; it unfolds naturally through the process.
Okoye Chukwuemeka - Ethereal Nook II - 2025 - 210cm H x 94cm W - Oil on canvas
SA: How do your portraits focus on youth, the desire for liberation?
OC : My paintings showcase youth along with the energy and desire for liberation that come with it. This manifests in the open landscapes, depicting my subjects' search for freedom beyond their immediate environment. Their energy comes through in different ways—sometimes in the fierceness of their gazes, other times in the weight of hopelessness or the quiet resignation of their stance.
Okoye Chukwuemeka John - I'm just a Boy II - 2024 - 72cm H x 60cm W - Oil on canvas
SA: Is your work an exploration of identity, colonialism, immigration?
OC : Leaving home and starting afresh somewhere new is a daunting task on its own. Add to that the emotional and psychological challenges, the constant search for identity, and it can feel almost insurmountable. My art serves as a reminder of home ; a form of solace for people who have walked that path. The landscapes in my work are more than just backdrops; they represent the little things that hold meaning, the fragments of familiarity that keep people going. They are the light in dark times.
Okoye Chukwuemeka John - Little Things that Matter - 2024 - 157cm H x 105cm W - Oil on canvas
SA: Your work is a testament to convey emotion, identity, history.
OC: To me, that is what being an artist means, taking over where society fails, drawing attention to themes that matter, and being a voice for those who can’t speak for themselves. There is no greater beauty in art than this. Art allows me to explore the emotional, societal, and psychological aspects of life—how we move through the world with our dreams, both fulfilled and abandoned, with our wants, our desires, and the weight of our realities.
Okoye Chukwuemeka John - Bako - 2025 - 118cm H x 76cm W - Oil on canvas
SA: How has your style evolved to better communicate emotions?
OC: Over time, my style has shifted and expanded, allowing me to create deeper emotional layers in my work. Each stroke, each texture, each layer of paint adds to the storytelling, making the emotions more tangible. It’s a process of constant discovery, refining how I translate feelings into visuals so that others can see, feel, and connect in ways words sometimes cannot capture.
Okoye Chukwuemeka John - I'm just a Boy I - 2024 - 72cm H x 60cm W - Oil on canvas
SA: Your art is now collected by art collectors across the world.
Seeing my work find a home in art collections across different continents reassures me that the emotions and stories I pour into each piece resonate beyond borders.
It’s not just about recognition; it’s about connection. Knowing that my art speaks to people from different backgrounds, that they see something in it that moves them enough to make it part of their lives, is one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist.
Okoye Chukwuemeka John - Ethereal Nook I - 2025 - 210cm H x 90cm W - Oil on canvas
