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. 

JOURNEY

Education

·        MA (Masters) in Painting, Royal College of Arts, London September 2024 to date

·        Graduate Diploma in Art & Design, Royal College of Arts, London January 2023 to August 2023

 

Experience

·        Volunteer Work, Drummer Warrior Storyteller, London 2023

·        Volunteer Work, Drummer Warrior Storyteller, London 2024

·        Assistant curator, The Parallax Art Fair, London, May 2012

·        Freelance Artist and creative director for exterior and Interior design, Brain Builder Montessori, Nigeria, September 2009 – August 2010

Other Work experiences

·        Civil Engineering Lecturer and Construction and the Built Environment across institutions in London and surrounding cities, September 2012 – August 2024

Exhibitions

  • Ancestral Utopias, Howie Street, London, April 2025

  • Past Meets Present Exhibition, Soho, London, March 2025

  • The Art of Connection exhibition, London, January 2025

  • The Tiny Art show, London, December 2024

  • Across & Over, HSBC headquarters Canary Wharf, London, October 2023 to January 2024

  • Lelie Galerij, Amsterdam, March- May 2022

  • URBANSIDE Gallery, Zurich, May 2022

Press