113 Artists on the Cutting-Edge of Textile Art
Otobong Nkanga
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Otobong Nkanga's work speaks to the history of political and soclal colonialism; particularly in regards to Africa and the Western world. Her work spans a number of mediums including drawing, photography, installation, textiles, sculpture, and performance. Nkanga is interested in the way that natural resources become economically valuable and the effects this has on the people living in the vicinity of mining sites. Born in Nigeria, she reflects on the ecological and political upheavals of her home country in a post-colonial climate. In her work, she exemplifies the beauty of raw materials such as minerals, before they are converted into products for profit in the West. She utilizes her own body as a performative element in her work. She invites viewers to rethink the way that we interact with the outside world.
Nkanga has had solo shows internationally, at galleries and museums including the Tate Modern in London; Lumen Travo Gallery, in Amsterdam; L’appartement 22 in Rabat, Morocco; La Bank Gallery in Paris, France; Vitrine Gallery in Antwerp, Belgium; and Centre Culturel Français in Pointe-Noire, Congo. She has also exhibited in numerous group shows including Göteborg International Biennial of Contemporary Art in Göteborg, Sweden; IV Biennale de la Photographie Africaine in Bamako, Mali; the Shanghai Biennale, Shanghai, …
Otobong Nkanga's work speaks to the history of political and soclal colonialism; particularly in regards to Africa and the Western world. Her work spans a number of mediums including drawing, photography, installation, textiles, sculpture, and performance. Nkanga is interested in the way that natural resources become economically valuable and the effects this has on the people living in the vicinity of mining sites. Born in Nigeria, she reflects on the ecological and political upheavals of her home country in a post-colonial climate. In her work, she exemplifies the beauty of raw materials such as minerals, before they are converted into products for profit in the West. She utilizes her own body as a performative element in her work. She invites viewers to rethink the way that we interact with the outside world.
Nkanga has had solo shows internationally, at galleries and museums including the Tate Modern in London; Lumen Travo Gallery, in Amsterdam; L’appartement 22 in Rabat, Morocco; La Bank Gallery in Paris, France; Vitrine Gallery in Antwerp, Belgium; and Centre Culturel Français in Pointe-Noire, Congo. She has also exhibited in numerous group shows including Göteborg International Biennial of Contemporary Art in Göteborg, Sweden; IV Biennale de la Photographie Africaine in Bamako, Mali; the Shanghai Biennale, Shanghai, China; and more. She lives and works in Antwerp.
Born 1974
Hometown Kano, Nigeria
Lives and Works Antwerp, Belgium
Education
DasArts, Advanced Studies in the Performing Arts, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2008
Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2003
Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux – Arts (ENSBA) Paris, France, 2001
Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU) Ile – Ife, Osun State, Nigeria, 1994
Works Available for Purchase
No works
