Chinwe Chigbu

Chinwe Chigbu (b.1994) is an emerging contemporary visual artist from Nigeria, recognized for her innovative use of photography and performance art. Through experimentation with print methods, Chigbu brings her conceptual ideas to life, exploring themes of identity politics, the black female body, and the nuances of contemporary society and culture.

Her work is driven by deep emotional engagement, utilizing her own body and everyday objects to convey complex realities and illusions. Drawing on memories and nostalgia, she experiments with movement, light, shadows, contrast, and texture, creating pieces rooted in empathy, love, and a commitment to human rights. Chigbu advocates for the liberation of the black community, particularly black women, and intersectional groups, seeking to challenge societal limitations through her art.

Rejecting socio-cultural constraints, Chigbu rewrites her own truth, constructing unique and thought-provoking situations that invite viewers to confront their own perceptions and reconsider what is known, what exists, and what could be. Her work features a subtle pseudo-minimalist style that addresses a range of subjects in multi-layered, corporeal ways.

Her meticulously planned pieces resonate with imagery from the boundless imagination, blending abstraction and deconstruction. This approach shifts meanings and invites multifaceted interpretations that hover between reality and illusion. Chigbu draws inspiration from nature, history, popular culture, and her environment, using art as a potent medium to challenge preconceived notions and address pressing societal issues. Her work celebrates individuality, humanism, womanism, black identity, and culture.