BIO
Chiedu Okonta (b.1979) is a Nigerian-British artist based in London. As a recipient of the prestigious Sir Frank Bowling Scholarship for MA Painting at the Royal College of Art, his artistic journey integrates both self-taught foundations and the depth of formal education.
Okonta views his work as part of a contemporary school of thought focused on archiving, reporting, agitating, and questioning through deliberate objective positioning. His creations reflect a counter-hegemonic worldview, inviting diverse audiences to reflect on their place within the tapestry of humanity’s shared experience.
Chiedu was born into a traditional middle-class Nigerian family and initially trained as a civil engineer, earning his MSc from the University of East London. Today, he channels technical prowess into a deeply empathetic artistic practice, exploring the dynamics of community, resilience, and the exploitation of natural resources.
The semiotic lexicon of his works binds together timelines that form a backdrop against which Okonta’s creations resonate with urgency, mirroring a collective longing for equity. They evoke hauntological themes - echoes of the lingering presence of future expectations.
Conscious of the fleeting nature of contemporary attention, Chiedu’s work resists linear time. His practice is fashioned to captivate viewers and encourage prolonged contemplation of his works.
CV
Education
2025, MA (Masters) in Painting, Royal College of Arts, London
2023, Graduate Diploma in Art & Design, Royal College of Arts, London
2012, MSc Civil Engineering, University of East London, London
Experience
2023, Assistant, Drummer Warrior Storyteller Exhibition, London
2024, Assistant, Drummer Warrior Storyteller Exhibition, London
2012, Assistant curator, The Parallax Art Fair, London
2009-2010, Creative Director, Brain Builder Montessori, Nigeria
Other Work experiences
2012-2024, Lecturer (Levels 3, 4 & 5 ) in Civil Engineering, Construction, and the Built Environment across multiple institutions in London and surrounding areas
Exhibitions
2025, Form & Fable, London
2025, Between Worlds, London
2025, Poetics of Becoming, London
2025, Pertinacious, London
2025, VAO 2025 Finalist Exhibition, London
2025, The Diasporic Archives, London
2025, The Royal College of Art Degree Show (RCA2025), London
2025, Ancestral Utopias, Howie Street, London
2025, Past Meets Present Exhibition, Soho, London
2025, The Art of Connection exhibition, London
2024, The Tiny Art Show, London
2023-2024, Across & Over, HSBC headquarters, Canary Wharf, London
2022, Lelie Galerij, Amsterdam
2022, URBANSIDE Gallery, Zurich
Awards
2025, Winner, VAO Painting, Printmaking & Mixed Media Category
2025, Sir Frank Bowling Scholarship, Royal College of Art
Press
2025, Contemporary Lynx: Artist in Focus: Chiedu Okonta “A layered resistance”: Artist in Focus: Chiedu Okonta. | Contemporary Lynx - print and online magazine on art & visual culture
2025, London Art Roundup: RCA Graduate Show Review: https://www.londonartroundup.com/reviews/rca-graduate-show-2025
2025, BLOWOUT Magazine: “RCA 2025 – Artists with Something New to Say”: RCA Degree Show 2025 Highlights: Artists with Something New to Say — BLOWOUT MAGAZINE
2023, M-A (A SPACE BETWEEN): Feature on interaction and distance: M-A (A SPACE BETWEEN), A Space between Interaction and Distance, 2023
Professional Memberships
Royal College of Art Graduate Community
ArtCan
a-n Artist Information Company
Visual Arts Association