Ken Nwadiogbu
Lagos, Nigeria
JOURNEY MERCIES
VIP STAGE
SCOPE MIAMI BEACH 2022
ARTIST STATEMENT
We are all heroes in our movies.
My artist lens is one of a focused bystander experiencing my reality while observing the world around me. That world could be my local community, my country of Nigeria, my studio in England, or any of the living workspaces I have adopted globally.
Wherever I am, I always feel the need to analyse, investigate, and perceive the news around me. I accept the significant roles of ethnographer and strategic visionary that we artists have played in society throughout history. My artistry reflects my human experience and acts as a social commentary on the experience of others, so for me, that role comes with a need to be empathetic when understanding and representing the characters captured throughout various contexts in my art.
My art-making process allows me to discover and reveal who we truly are at our core, whether in a moment or in a movement. You cannot fully understand a person by just looking at their physical construct, there’s far more understanding when you begin to see people differently.
One may find a reflection in the contemporary realism of these characters in my paintings, or in the painted expressions of symbols, fashion, or home décor - ultimately, my goal reaches beyond realism and lies in a space between authenticity and possibility.