"The beauty I see in every existence is my inspiration to paint. I work toward creating paintings that tell stories of beauty ... and believe that the power of beauty is enough to humble any human being."
-- Onyeka Ibe
Artist's Biography
Onyeka Ibe (pronounced ebay), was born in Nigeria where he exhibited his works at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Lagos at age 16. The judges, doubting that someone of his age could really have painted the works himself, required him to do a live demonstration. Upon proving his ability, the artist was awarded a full scholarship to high school, followed by an education in fine arts from the University of Benin, from which he graduated with highest honors. His first visit to the U.S. in 1998 was sponsored by Ebony Magazine and Magic Johnson’s “Mid Summer Night Magic,” a charity even for indigent African American Students. After visiting American galleries and exhibiting some of his work in this country, the artist decided to move full time to the U.S. and to pursue his education at Georgia State University in Atlanta.
Ibe has traveled extensively throughout the U.S., South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa to show his works, participating as well in seminars and fine arts workshops. His work has been recognized nationally and internationally through numerous awards in juried shows and competitions and has been featured in major art publications, museums, private collections, and galleries around the world. In 2002, the Atlanta Journal Constitution described the artist as one of the most exciting young painters to emerge from Sub-Saharan Africa since the 1990’s. He looks for inspiration in the natural and humanistic tradition of contemporary realism and abstractions.
We have admired Ibe’s work for several years, impressed with the rich colors and impasto texture of his abstracted landscapes and the soft, evocative beauty of his figurative work. When asked to describe what motivates him, Ibe says “The beauty I see in every existence is my inspiration to paint. Painting is the only way that I can express myself … I work toward creating paintings that tell stories of beauty, and believe that the power of nature and beauty is enough to humble any human being. There is so much pleasure when I can make people be in harmony with their surroundings.”
Onyeka Ibe
We kiddingly call Ibe our rock star, because of all the press he has received. Everyone is interested in how this talented young artist grew up in a loving family, in a war torn environment, and through sheer talent, hard work and determination, found his way alone in America, where he has now become an artist with a successful and critical following. In addition to an article in Art World News (see below) from May 2007, the artist was just featured in American Art Collector Magazine (November, 2007) and is the subject of numerous features in several monthly, weekly and daily Atlanta publications. With permission from Helen Cauley, the writer for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, we have reprinted her nice article here.
You may also be interested in our own interview with Ibe, which reveals the "softer side" of this impressive individual.
To see the article below from Art Business News, click on the photo. Or to read the PDF version, please click here.
