Ekene Maduka, a remarkable Nigerian artist whose practice has garnered attention both locally and globally. Based in Winnipeg for nearly a decade, Maduka’s interdisciplinary work spans painting, sculpture, film, and community-based projects, often exploring themes of identity, migration, and the complex emotional landscapes shaped by these experiences.

Her work reflects not only her personal narrative but also larger cultural and social contexts through innovative artistic mediums. Among her many accomplishments, Ekene was awarded an artist start-up grant by Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys’ Dean Collection in 2017, affirming her talent early in her career. In 2024, she received the prestigious Royal Bank of Canada ON THE RISE Award, recognizing her as an emerging artist with exceptional promise.

Ekene’s first solo debut was at 1-54 London, where her work caught the attention of Christie’s Auction House and was selected for an extension of the fair. Her pieces have since been featured in prominent exhibitions, including Jeffrey Deitch’s “Self-Addressed”, curated by Kehinde Wiley, and she recently created a monumental geodesic dome for the STAGES Biennial by Plug-In ICA. Maduka’s works are also part of esteemed collections such as the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (MACAAL).

Austin Uzor, is a Nigerian-born artist now based in Texas (USA), whose evocative paintings delve deeply into themes of human displacement, identity, and psychological landscapes. Uzor’s work resists the notion of presenting only polished and “finished” pieces, instead embracing an exhaustive and therapeutic process that allows his compositions to unfold organically over time.

His paintings often blur the boundaries between the abstract and the figurative, inviting viewers into a symbolic universe influenced by spirituality, religion, and his own experiences of migration to the United States in 2016. Through atmospheric color palettes and architectural forms, Uzor’s art expresses the complex emotions associated with displacement, what he describes as “the idea of having a home while feeling homeless.”

Each of Uzor’s works offers an introspective journey into psychological spaces, capturing landscapes from memory, dreams, and imagination, where themes of identity are both confronted and reinterpreted. His pieces invite the viewer to engage with these personal yet universal emotions. Uzor has exhibited internationally, with recent solo exhibitions at Maat Gallery in Paris and prominent group shows in Italy, Germany, and the United States.