Ruth Ige

Ruth Ige was born in 1992 in Ilé-Ifẹ̀, Nigeria, and lives and works in Auckland, New Zealand. She graduated with a Bachelor of Visual Arts from the Auckland University of Technology in 2016.

And you are of the heavens and of the earth, her first exhibition in Cape Town, took place in May 2024, following Freedom’s recurring dream, her gallery debut in Johannesburg (2022). Previous solo exhibitions include Acts of rest (with Esther Ige) at Season Aotearoa (2025); The poetic notions of blue: A haven at McLeavey Gallery, Wellington (2025); Between Two Dimensions at Roberts Projects, Los Angeles (2022); The poetic notions of blue (2021) and its second iteration The poetic notions of blue: A haven; and A Place Apart (20250 at McLeavey Gallery, Wellington (2021) and, a two-person show at City Gallery, Wellington (2020)

Ige has participated in the 36th São Paulo Biennale (2025); group exhibitions at Bode Gallery, Havana (2024); Melanie Roger Gallery, Auckland (2024); Auckland Art Gallery (2024); Andrew Kreps, New York, USA (2024); Stevenson, Cape Town (2024; 2023; 2021); McLeavey Gallery, Wellington (2020); Karma, New York (2019); ST PAUL St Gallery, Auckland (2019); The Vivian, Matakana (2018); RM Gallery, Auckland, New (2017) and Artspace, Auckland (2017).

She is the recipient of the 2025 Rydal Art Prize presented by Te Uru Contemporary Gallery, Auckland.