Echoes Of The Mind: Art Exhibition by Chike Azuonye

This exhibition is in collaboration with The Africa Centre and is presented as part of the series of Exhibitions and Activities for the Centre’s 60th Anniversary Celebrations. 

The works on display are inspired by echoes of Chike’s creative mind, from early childhood to the present, including various events happening in our world such as global warming, conflict, and war, as well as issues of culture, race, and ancestry.

In the work “In Search of Reality”, the Artist tries to explore the yearning of people to understand the impact of the environment on their psyche. The painting further questions what is real and what is not. There are many questions with little, or no answers, whether it be about Covid-19, global warming, or Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The painting “The Road to Eke Market,” culturally, looks at the resilience and industry of the Igbo women of Eastern Nigeria, with stern and focused expressions on their faces. Each work has its own narrative, and the artist will be happy to unpack each story.

About The Artist

Chike Azuonye is a British artist of Nigerian parentage and has been active in the London art scene since the late 1980s. His works are remarkable for their depth of expression and thought. At first glance, the viewer is presented with rich vibrant colours, harmoniously painted in impasto. In the artist’s own words, “Art has been to me about celebration and immediacy: something to be enjoyed and appreciated.” But on a closer look, he has always a message beyond the aesthetic; a narrative which delves into his Igbo roots, as well as the Spiritual in Art.

Chike is a graduate of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) and majored in painting under the tutelage of Prof Obiora Udechukwu and Prof. El Anatsui. Azuonye’s art has been shaped partly by his childhood experiences during the Nigeria/Biafra civil war (1967-1970) and partly inspired by the works of his lecturer Prof. Obiora Udechukwu, as well as by the works of Modigliani, Cezanne, and Gaugin.

He is eclectic in his approach to creative work and works in various artistic media, such as acrylic, oil, pastel, charcoal, and watercolour.

Chike has held several solo, joint and group exhibitions since 1984, including in Nigeria, France, and the UK. His paintings are in private and public collections spread across the UK, Germany, Finland, USA, Nigeria, Italy, Canada, and France. One of his works, ‘Agony of Sacrifice’ 1986, an etching, was featured as ”Artwork of the Month” at Iwalewahaus, University of Bayreuth, Germany in 2019.

**Admission is free and this exhibition is open daily, except Mondays, from 10 am to 6 pm.

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