Ngozi-Omeje Ezema

Born: 1979

Biography:

Ngozi Omeje is a Nigerian ceramic installation artist. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2005 and a master's degree in 2009 from the University of Nigeria Nsukka. Her acclaimed installation works using globular clay units, rings, leaves and re-purposed plastic flip-flops suspended on hundreds of nylon threads were shown at several international exhibitions including the Korea Ceramics Biennale and Cheongju Craft Biennale in South Korea in 2019, the Dakar Biennale in Senegal, the First Central China Ceramics Biennale in China, and at the inaugural ArtXLagos Art Fair in 2016. She has taken part in numerous international and local exhibitions including the Connecting Deep 10th anniversary exhibition of CCA Lagos (2018). SMO Contemporary Art exhibited Omeje's work at the Saatchi START Art Fair in London in 2018 and at the Standing Out all female artist group exhibition at the Wheatbaker in 2017. She took part in an artist-in-residence program at the Sev Shoon Art Center in Seattle, USA where her 'Think Tea, Think Cup' installation became a prominent piece in their permanent collection. She has won multiple awards including, Overall Winner of Life in my City Art Competition in Enugu (2014), and Outstanding Concept at the National Art Competition in Lagos in 2015 and Most Creative Potter from the University of Nigeria Nsukka (2005). Omeje teaches ceramic art at the University of Nigeria. She has participated in several international workshops, including a two-week international workshop (Aftershave International Workshop –Triangle Art Trust), Nigeria, 2008, an international women workshop (Art in the Dailies) –Goethe Institute, Ghana, 2009, and was a resident artist in Sevshoon Art Centre, Seattle, USA, 2010. Her works of art are configured with globular clay units, clay rings, clay leaves, strings and savaged flip flops from her environment, using them to accentuate her place in her immediate socio-cultural context. These artworks are paradox of hope and despair, depicting how strength is drawn from pain and disappointment, thereby dialoguing between the two concepts.