Amarachi Okafor


Amarachi Okafor is a Nigerian artist. Her works of art during her earlier years of practice have focused on culture, religion, history, gender relations and human sexuality. She has also used her art to comment on topical issues, like the spread of the Ebola virus in Africa. Okafor is part of a group of artists who came from the University of Nigeria, and who are exploring more experimental forms of art. Currently, she works in painting, sculpture and a form of public art collaborations that she refers to as relational meetings. She now tends to look more at spirituality, humanity - human actions in the world and to society in the course of history, the impact and the nature of these impact to humanity.

Life

Okafor was born in Umuahia. In 2002 she attended a fine arts course at the University of Nigeria and in 2007, at the same University, held a master's degree in sculpture and curatorial practice. She worked as a curator at NGA in Abuja between 2008 and 2014. In 2007 she won a Unesco-Aschberg artists’ residency, and the Commonwealth Foundation Commonwealth Connections in 2010. In 2014, she was a finalist in the 2014 National Art Competition, and won the Juror's prize that year.

Work

Okafor's work has been described as poetic interpretations of socio-environmental issues. Her work using discarded plastic bags reference the abundance of waste as well as clusters of organic life-forms.

Solo exhibitions

Okafor's work is held in the Luciano Bennetton Collection.