my inspiration
My artistic philosophy is a vibrant celebration of African culture, intricately interwoven with a deep commitment to addressing the urgent societal need for environmental sustainability. This commitment is particularly rooted in the Nigerian communities where I personally spent my formative years attending secondary school in Lagos. In the five years spent in Nigeria, my perspective grew wings, allowing me to find myself and ultimately, the message for the work to come.
A key angle on my study of sustainability is shown through my deliberate adoption of recyclable materials such as foil, thread, and wire. By transforming them into interactive three-dimensional experiences, I’m able to communicate the opportunity we have as Africans to be more aware of the materials we disregard.
Currently, I am on a quest to make a mark on the global art stage, seeking opportunities in spaces that will allow my work to eloquently speak for itself. The primary goal is for my creations to show the truth and the need for better.
“ I am a Nigerian American self taught visual artist whose work explores portraiture, sustainability, ancestry, and the evolving realities of the African diaspora. Raised between Lagos and the United States, I grew up navigating different cultural worlds, an experience that continues to shape my understanding of identity, belonging, and community.
Through material manipulation, I transform discarded materials including foil, thread, wood, wire, and aluminum into interactive three dimensional works that give new life to what has been overlooked. My practice uses sustainability as both a material process and a metaphor for resilience, exploring how memory, migration, and cultural inheritance shape multidimensional identities. I am particularly interested in the tension between my queer identity and the cultural values that informed my upbringing, creating work that holds these complexities in conversation through layered portraiture.
Much of my inspiration stems from conversations with my grandfather, who once operated an aluminum factory in Nnewichi, Anambra, Nigeria. His stories shaped my understanding of labor, craftsmanship, and transformation. The aluminum I work with today serves as a tangible connection to ancestry, allowing me to honor inherited histories while reimagining them through a contemporary lens.”
Mission
OSO is a Nigerian American Studio Artist who explores and narrates the stories of Black youth across the diaspora. His work reflects the many worlds he’s lived while discovering the three principles that matter most: self-discovery, self-awareness and true self-acceptance.