Nnenna Okore
# Nnenna Okore

Nnenna Okore (Nsukka, 1953) è un'artista nigeriana.

È emersa come uno dei principali artisti della sua generazione. Ha vinto numerosi premi internazionali e le sue opere sono presenti in diverse collezioni in Europa, Africa e Stati Uniti d'America.

## Biografia

Cresciuta a Nsukka, in Nigeria, nel 1999 ha conseguito la laurea con lode in Pittura presso l'Università della Nigeria. Fra il 2004 e il 2005 ha ottenuto un Master of Arts e successivamente anche un Master of Fine Arts in scultura presso l'Università dello Iowa. Artista di fama internazionale, ha fatto carriera anche nel campo dell'insegnamento ed attualmente è professore associato e presidente del dipartimento di arte presso la North Park University di Chicago.

## Opere

Il lavoro di Nnenna Okore ruota intorno al concetto di riciclaggio: l'artista riutilizza e trasforma oggetti di scarto in elaborate sculture ed installazioni con tecniche manuali che comprendono la tessitura, la cucitura, la tintura, apprese guardando i suoi compatrioti nigeriani svolgere le proprie attività quotidiane. Predilige materiali biodegradabili quali vecchi giornali, carta, filati, caffè, amido, argilla per creare forme organiche e astratte, ispirate in gran parte da texture, colori e paesaggi africani.

## Filosofia di lavoro

L'artista si dichiara attratta dai fenomeni naturali, dal processo di invecchiamento e di decadenza che inevitabilmente aggredisce ogni creatura vivente e perfino ogni materiale inorganico. Con le sue opere intende portare avanti una riflessione sulla precarietà dell'esistenza e sulle possibilità di migliorare e preservare l'ambiente.

## Mostre personali (selezione)

### 2011

* Nnenna Okore: New Works, Herron School of Art and Design Gallery, University of Indiana, Indianapolis, USA. *Shokoloko, Craft Alliance, St. Louis, USA.
* Rush, Skidmore College Gallery, New York, USA.
* Metamorphoses, October Gallery, London, UK.
* Torn Apart, David Krut Projects, New York, USA.
* On The Edge, Dittmar Memorial Gallery, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA.

### 2010

* Life After, Noyes Art Center, Evanston, USA.
* Textile, Blachere Fondation Art Center, Apt, France.
* Recovered Energies, Bekris Gallery, San Francisco, USA.
* Absurd Beauty, Northeastern Illinois University Art Gallery, Chicago, USA.

### 2009

* Anyanwu, Carl A. Fields Center Gallery, Princeton University, USA.
* Strings and Patterns, Viberto University Gallery, La Crosse, USA.
* Twisted Ambience, Chicago Cultural Center, USA.
* Of Earth....Barks and Topography, Goethe Institut, Lagos, Nigeria

### 2008

* Ulukububa-Infinite Flow, October Gallery, London.
* Moonlight Tales, Tall Grass Association, (Chicago) Park Forest, USA.
* Affrika West, Oriel Mostyn Gallery, Llandudno, UK.

### 2007

* Reflection: A Nigerian Experience, Contemporary African Art Gallery, New York City, USA.
* Sub-consciousness, Adam Hall Gallery, Wheaton College, Wheaton, USA.

### 2006

* Betwixt and Between, Carlson Gallery, North Park University, Chicago, USA.
* Trans-figuration, Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery, Moraine Valley Community College, USA.

### 2005

* Paper to Paper, Armature Art Gallery, University of Iowa, USA.

### 2004

* Accumulations, Arts Iowa City, Iowa City, USA.

### 2003

* Re-presented, Armature Gallery, University of Iowa, USA.

### 2002

* Beyond the Lines, Didi Museum, Lagos, Nigeria.

### 2001

* Metaphors, Alternative space, Lagos, Nigeria.

## Mostre collettive (selezione)

### 2011

* Environment and Object in Recent African Art, Anderson Gallery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA.
* Transcending Integration, Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, USA.
* Environment and Object in Recent African Art, Tang Museum, Skidmore College, New York City, USA.

### 2010

* Scratch, presented by Sakshi Gallery at Latit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India.
* (Re-) Cycles of Paradise, UN COP16, Cancun, Mexico.
* 29th Sao Paulo Biennial, Sao Paulo, Brasil.
* Textile, Blachere Fondation Art Center, Apt, France.

### 2009

* (Re-) Cycles of Paradise, in association with the UN COP15, Copenaghen, Denmark.
* In Progress, Group show at Calson Tower Gallery, North Park University, Chicago, USA.
* Common Ground, Bekris Gallery, San Francisco, USA.
* Chance Encounters- touring exhibition, Sakshi Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan.
* Trash Menagerie, Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, USA.
* Paper to Pulp, HC Center for the Arts, Ellicott City, USA.
* Transvangarde, October Gallery, London.
* Chance Encounters, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai, India.
* Object of A Revolution, Galerie Dominique Fait, Paris.
* Trace/Memory, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, USA.

### 2008

* Afganza Africa, October Gallery, London.
* Affrika West, Galeri Artspace, Caernarfon, UK.
* Channel4 Art Exhibition, Channel4/Art4 Gallery, London.
* Second Lives: Remixing the Ordinary, Museum of Art and Design, New York City, USA.
* Refabrication, by Nnenna Okore, Linda Gordon, and Kirstin Demer. Carlson Gallery, North Park University, USA.
* Clay and Fibre, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, USA.
* Joburg Art Fair, (sponsored by October Gallery) Sandton Convention Center, Johannesburg, SA.
* Trading Spaces, Binghamton University, USA.

### 2006

* African Contemporary Art Exhibition, Dakar Biennale, Senegal.

### 2005

* Twelfth SOFA International Exposition, Chicago, USA.
* 8th International Open Exhibition, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, USA.

### 2003

* Migrations, Legion Arts CSPS, Cedar Rapids, USA.
* Units, Legion Arts CSPS, Cedar Rapids, USA.

### 2002

* New Works, Armature Gallery, University of Iowa. Curator: Thomas Aprile, Professor of Art, University of Iowa, USA.

### 2001

* New Energies, Nimbus Gallery and Mydrim Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria Curator: Prof. El Anatsui, University of Nigeria.

## Conferenze e Workshop

### 2011

* Visiting Artist, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA.
* Visiting Artist, Herron school of Art and Design, University of Indiana, Indianapolis, USA.
* Guest Artist, Tang Museum, Skidmore College, New York, USA.

### 2010

* Guest Artist, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, USA.
* Visiting Artist, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, USA.
* Visiting Artist, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, USA.

### 2009

* Guest Artist, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, USA.
* Guest Artist, Princeton University, Princeton, USA.
* Guest Artist, Viterbo University, La Crosse, USA.
* Guest Artist, Time Line Lecture series, Museum of African Art, New York City, USA.

### 2008

* Visiting Artist, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA.

## Pubblicazioni

* Nnenna Okore, Polly Savage, “Nnenna Okore: ulukububa: infinite flow”, October Gallery, 2008.
* Nnenna Okore, “Reclaiming the waste”, University of Iowa, 2004.
* Nnenna Okore, ”Exploring space”, University of Iowa, 2005

## Collezioni

* Newark Museum, New Jersey, USA
* Jean Paul Blachere Fondation, France
* Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, USA
* Royal Collections, Abu Dhabi, UEA
* Art House Contemporary Limited, Nigeria
* Channel 4, London, UK
* Renaissance Capital, Moscow, Russia
* Daraja Art Foundation, London, UK

## Premi e riconoscimenti

* Artist-in-residence/Teaching Fellowship, Skidmore College, New York, USA. (2011)
* Artist Residency, Jean Paul Blachere Foundation, Apt, France. (2010)
* Artist-in-residence, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, USA. (2010)
* North Park University Faculty Project Grant, USA. (2008)
* Residency at Instituto Rural de Arte Hoz del Jucar, Spain. (2007)
* Artist Full Fellowship at Global Art Village, Delhi, India. (2007)
* Residency at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, USA. (2007)
* UNESCO-Aschberg Fellowship for Artists (Gruber Jez Foundation, Mexico). (2007)
* Red Gate Residency, Beijing, China. (2006)
* North Park University Research Award, USA. (2005)
* SFAI Residency, Santa Fe Art Institute, USA. (2005)
* Graduate Assistantship, University of Iowa, USA. (2005)
* Emma McAllister Novel Scholarship, University of Iowa, USA. (2004)
* Teaching Assistantship, University of Iowa, USA. (2002-2005)
* Valedictorian (Fine Arts), University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. (1999)
* First prize, UNIFEM Women's Art Contest, Lagos, Nigeria. (1994)
* First prize, UNICEF African Child's Day Art Contest, Mbabane, Swaziland. (1993)
