CV
EDUCATION
2022 – 2023
MA Painting, Royal College of Art, London, UK
2012 - 2017
B.Sc Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025
Yellow is the New Black, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, UK
2024
I Belong Here, Kristin Hjellegjerde gallery, Berlin, Germany
2023
Fragments of Reality, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, UK
2022
A Different Perspective, Retro Africa Gallery, Abuja, Nigeria
2021
Journey Mercies, Bomb Factory Art Foundation, London, UK
UBUNTU, Thinkspace Projects, Los Angeles, USA
2019
CONTEMPOREALISM, BrickLane Gallery, London, UK
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS & FAIRS
2025
Signature Art Prize, Bankside hotel, London, UK
RBA Rising Star Exhibition, Royal Over-Seas League, London, UK
War Child Presents Secret 7”, NOW Gallery, London, UK
2024
Salon Exhibition, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, West Palm beach, USA
Absolut Warhol: The Other Half, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
Hospital Rooms Exhibition, Hauser & Wirth, London, UK
Art SG, Retro Africa Gallery, Singapore, Singapore
NEW NOW: Part 2, Guts Gallery, London, UK
2023
Portrait of a Top Boy, Embankment galleries, Somerset House, London, UK
RA Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, London, UK
Lucid Borders, Art Exchange, University of Essex, Essex, UK
We Are Enough, 193 Gallery, Paris, France
2022
Scope Miami, Miami beach, USA, curated by Roger Niyigena Karera
Across the Pond, Espacio Gallery, London, UK
Unity, Volery Gallery, Dubai, UAE
Freedom Protesters, Thinkspace Projects, Los Angeles, USA
2021
Real Life Is Fragile, Thinkspace Projects, Los Angeles, USA
Ruth Borchard Self Portrait Collection, Coventry Cathedral, Coventry, UK
POW! WOW! The First Decade: From Hawaii To The World, Bishop Museum, Hawaii, USA
2020
Prizm International Art Fair, Miami, presented by Retro Africa Gallery
The Cookout: Kinfolk and Other Intimacies, Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art (MoCADA), New York, USA
1-54 African Art Fair, New York, presented by Retro Africa Gallery
Art of Diversity, Yinka Sonibare CBE (RA) studio, London, UK
2019
Moniker International Art Fair, London, presented by Premier Art Solution
ArtX Lagos, presented by Artyrama Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria
LAX-LHR, Chelsea Sorting Office, London, presented by Thinkspace Project
LAX-MSY, RedTruck Gallery, Louisiana, presented by Thinkspace Project
LAX-SFO, Heron Arts, California, presented by Thinkspace Project
In The Making, Retro Africa Gallery, Abuja, Nigeria
2018
ArtX Lagos, presented by Artyrama Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria
Moniker International Art Fair, NYC, presented by Creative Debuts
Generation Y, Retro Africa Gallery, Abuja, Nigeria
Empowerment, Creative Debuts, London, UK
2017
Artyrama Art Exhibition, Artyrama Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria
It’s Not Furniture, Omenka Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria
2016
Insanity, Omenka Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria
SELECTED COMMISSIONS, ILLUSTRATIONS, & PROJECTS
2025
Secret 7“, Art Project for War Child UK to raise money for children affected by war
Ken Nwadiogbu Artist Room, Site-specific installation at Nordic Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria
Artists Connect Africa 2025, An event that celebrates creativity and the boundless potential of the African art community in Nigeria
2024
Absolut Warhol: The Other Half, Art commission for Absolut Vodka, UK
A Gift of Hope, Mural painting at the Hellesdon Hospital, Norwich in collaboration with Hospital Rooms and NHS, UK
Give an X, Art project for the UK general election in collaboration with Upvote and Give an X coalition, UK
2023
Art on a Postcard, Art Project for Art on a Postcard to raise money for Hepatitis C trust
Blank Canvas Project, Fashion design for GANT in collaboration with Hypebeast, UK
Portrait of a Top Boy, Art commission for Netflix and Intermission film, UK
Unboxing Migration, Exhibition with Art Exchange, University of Essex, UK
2022
Swift Ones, Animation with Martell, France
Promise Boys, Book cover illustration for book authored by Nick Brooks and published by Macmillan, US
2021
Raising For Myanmar, Poster for Migrate Art, UK
Art on Wheels, Vehicle wrap for Flight Logistics, UK
W1 Curates X Ken Nwadiogbu, Public digital display for W1 Curates, UK
SELECTED AWARDS
2025
Signature Art Prize for Painting
Royal Society of British Artist Rising Stars Award
2022
Logitech Scholarship Award
2019
The Future Awards Africa Prize for Art (Visual/Applied)
SELECTED RESIDENCIES
2025
Artist-in-Residence, Royal Society of British Artists’ Rome Residency, Sala Uno, Rome, Italy
Artist-in-Residence, Werkstattwoche International Residency, Lüben, Germany
2021
Artist-in-Residence, Bomb Factory Art Foundation, London, UK
SELECTED LECTURES, PANELS, AND PRESENTATIONS
2025
UAL’s Black Creatives Hub, London College of Fashion, London, UK (Panelist)
2024
Next Gen: Give an X, The Barbican Centre, London, UK (Keynote Speaker)
The Lotus Flower, Hospital Rooms Digital Art School, London, UK (Workshop)
National Arts in Health week Nigeria, Arts in Medicine, UK (Speaker)
2023
Artful Healing: Panting Workshop with Ken Nwadiogbu, Hospital Rooms, Sainsbury Centre, London, UK (Workshop)
Unboxing Migration: Art Workshop with Ken Nwadiogbu, Art Exchange, University of Essex, London, UK (Workshop)
2020
Artists as Drivers of Social Change (Speaker)
Basics of Contemporealism: How to Win with Art, Mbari Uno Workshops & Artland Contemporary Limited (Speaker)
SELECTED PRESS AND PUBLICATIONS
JUXTAPOZ MAGAZINE: Radio Juxtapoz, ep 145: Ken Nwadiogbu and the Contemporealism Movement, 2024
ARTNEWS: The Best Booths at ART SG 2024, 2024
WALLPAPER: Art SG 2024: what to see at Southeast Asia’s biggest art fair, 2024
EURO NEWS: (Culture) Nigerian artist Ken Nwadiogbu on migration, African art and working with Burna Boy, 2024
ARTNET: 8 Painters To Watch in 2024, According to Insiders, 2023
FORBES: 9 Of The Best London Art Exhibitions This Autumn - Fragments of Reality, 2023
FAD MAGAZINE: Ken Nwadiogbu - Fragments of Reality opens for FRIEZE week, 2023
THE LAGOS REVIEW: Ken Nwadiogbu stakes his artistic claim with “Fragments of Reality” – Toni Kan, 2023
ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART: Discover RCA Painting MA graduate and Logitech Scholar Ken Nwadiogbu, 2023
SOMETHING CURATED: Ken Nwadiogbu Talks Colour, Life In Lagos & Creating For Yourself, 2023
HYPEBEAST: GANT’s Varsity Jacket Becomes a “Blank Canvas” in Latest Artist Collaboration, 2023
THIS DAY: Somerset House: Ken Nwadiogbu’s Artistry Illuminates Netflix’s Top Boy, 2023
THE WICK: (SPOTLIGHT) Multidisciplinary artist Ken Nwadiogbu, 2023
MEDIUM: Ken Nwadiogbu hyper-realistic Art: The Journey Mercies, 2021, Acrylic on cardboard boxes, 2023
VOICE OF AMERICA: Nigerian Artist Behind New Art Movement 'Contemporealism' (VIDEO), 2022
OKAY AFRICA: (SPOTLIGHT) Ken Nwadiogbu Uses "A Different Perspective' To Tell Nigerian Stories, 2022
HYPERALLERGIC: Nigerian Artist Ken Nwadiogbu Creates NFTs for Voice, 2021
JUXTAPOZ MAGAZINE: Ken Nwadiogbu: UBUNTU @ Thinkspace Projects, Los Angeles, 2021
ART AFFAIRS PODCAST: Episode 033 - Ken Nwadiogbu, 2021
LISA BOUDET: What’s HIDDEN behind the Hyperrealistic eyes of Ken Nwadiogbu (VIDEO), 2021
LEAGUE OTO: Rapid fire questions with - Ken Nwadiogbu, 2020
BBC: The Nigerian whose drawings look like photos (VIDEO), 2020
MEDIUM: My Love For Art Made Me Find Ken Nwadiogbu – Njideka Agbo, 2020
AFRO PUNK: Ken Nwadiogbu brings Hyper-realism to surreal places, 2019
CREATE MAGAZINE: Interview With Moniker Art Fair Highlight Artist Ken Nwadiogbu, 2019
GUARDIAN LIFE MAGAZINE: Guardian Life’s Outstanding Personalities Of 2019, 2019
CREATIVE BOOM: Ken Nwadiogbu addresses issues of race and gender with his 'contemporealist' art, 2019
JUXTAPOZ MAGAZINE: Ken Nwadiogbu Opens His International Debut @ Brick Lane Gallery, London, 2019
BBC: Ken Nwadiogbu: The Hyperrealism Artist Drawing Nigeria’s Story ‘Black and White’, 2019
BBC MINUTE: On Hyper Realistic Street Art, 2018
CNN: Ken Nwadiogbu: Nigeria’s Groundbreaking, Hyperrealist Artist (VIDEO), 2018
CNN: Inside Nigeria’s Hyperrealist Art Scene, 2018
WIRED MAGAZINE: Look at these works: are they photos or drawings?, 2018