The Way Things Are ⎮ Nnenna Okore

Nnenna Okore was born in Australia, raised in Nigeria, and works in the United States. She is a Professor of Art at Chicago’s North Park University. During her undergraduate studies at the University of Nigeria, she studied and mentored under El Anatsui, who had a retrospective solo exhibition at the Haus der Kunst in 2019. Okore’s work focuses on ecological issues steeped in artistic practice, pedagogy, and social engagements throughout her long career as an artist-researcher-teacher. As a Chicago art practitioner, Okore has participated in numerous participatory art projects and exhibitions designed to produce dialogue, artmaking, and an awareness of current environmental issues. In her creative processes, she uses environmentally friendly materials, such as natural dyes, fibers, fabrics, and bioplastics. Okore is passionate about dialogue on ecological issues and is currently involved in collaborative environmental projects across Nigeria, Australia, and the United States. Nnenna Okore, whose work continues to shape global conversations in contemporary art, has recently completed a major site-specific installation, Between Earth and Sky, at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London. Her monumental glass work, Together We Belong, Here — produced by Mayer’sche Hofkunstanstalt, Munich — was recently commissioned and unveiled by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, USA. An additional large-scale glass installation in Baltimore, USA, will be unveiled later this year.

Okore is a recipient of the 2012 Fulbright Scholar Award and Creative Victoria Award from Australia. Her works have been featured in major exhibitions at the Museum of Art and Design, NY; Museum of Contemporary African Diasporic Art, New York; Spelman Museum of Fine Art, Atlanta; Museu Afro Brasil, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, and the Cleveland Museum of Art, Bruges Triennial, the Chengdu International Biennial, the Public Art Abu Dhabi (PAAD) Biennial, among others.