Chioma Ebinama’s work seeks freedom from colonial paradigms, looking instead through a lens of animism and mythology. With figures emerging from abstract fields of ink and watercolor, her works often contain strong allegorical themes and reveal themselves like fragments from a larger story of time. Ebinama’s works exist within a realm of myriad spiritual influences—including her Christian upbringing and Nigerian roots, combined with travels through Mexico, South Korea, India, Malaysia and Greece. Produced during a residency at Pocoapoco in Oaxaca, these cut outs by Ebinama represent an experimental shift, where figure and abstraction are reversed. Here, silhouetted biomorphs exist in sharp relief, containing and guarding a marbled, mysterious inner cosmos.
Chioma Ebinama, b. 1988, Maryland, currently lives and works in Athens, Greece. Her practice is centred on painting, but has expanded via collaborative projects into other mediums including printmaking, wearables and sculpture. She has lectured and shown her work internationally, with exhibitions at Fortnight Institute and 303 Gallery, New York; 1-54 London; Dak’Art – Biennale de l’Art Africain Contemporain off-site, Dakar; and Art X Lagos. Ebinama was recently featured in a solo show Leave the thorns and take the rose at The Breeder Gallery in Athens, highlighting work from her residency at The Breeder Open Studio.
Handmade paper and Sumi ink
Unique
