For our monthly rendez-vous devoted to a leading artist on the African art scene, this month we shine the spotlight on the creative practice of Njideka Akunyili Crosby. This Nigerian artist, whose work evokes a deep sense of nostalgia, paints vibrant memories of her native country, her family and her personal journey. Her captivating canvases immerse the viewer in her intimate world and the nuances of her daily life.
Born in 1983 in Enugu, Nigeria, Njideka Akunyili Crosby grew up one of six siblings, her father a surgeon and her mother a pharmacology teacher. At the age of ten, her family moved to Lagos, the Nigerian capital, before she and her sister left for the United States to pursue their studies.
Initially, she studied American history, returning to Nigeria before returning to the U.S. to study medicine. This atypical background hardly suggests an artistic vocation. However, Njideka Akunyili Crosby eventually turned to the arts, graduating from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Arts, followed in 2011 by a degree from Yale University’s School of Fine Arts. In this way, the contemporary Nigerian artist forged a unique visual identity, imbued with memory, culture and resilience, revealing the rich and fascinating history of contemporary African and Western influence with every brushstroke.
Today, Njideka Akunyili Crosby creates in Los Angeles, California, where the majority of her work is presented to the American public. Following her studies, the Nigerian artist took a promising path in the visual art world by joining the residency of the Studio Museum in Harlem, an iconic venue dedicated to promoting and supporting emerging African artists.
Acrylic, pastel, charcoal, colored pencil, collage and Xerox transfers on paper (two panels)
Each panel: 6.5 ft. × 6.5 ft
The residency was a breath of fresh air for Njideka Akunyili Crosby, giving her the opportunity to cross paths with established artists, including Wangechi Mutu, who became not only an essential mentor, but also a beacon in her journey. With the invaluable guidance of this art expert, she explored plural creative approaches, interweaving figurative painting, reflections on the post-colonial era and drawing techniques, among others.
Njideka Akunyili Crosby ‘s first solo exhibition opened in 2015 at the Hammer Museum, orchestrated by Jamillah James, former curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, now assistant curator of the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. This major event represents a decisive turning point in her career, marking the culmination of her work and the formalization of her artistic voice on the international stage. The same year, she was also showcased at the Norton Museum of Art, reinforcing her status as a contemporary artist.
In her artistic approach, Njideka Akunyili Crosby captivates the public with her depictions of interior scenes and everyday moments, drawn avidly from domestic life. To infuse her creations with a singular depth, she employs a complex process that skilfully blends several techniques and media, from collage and drawing to photo transfer, acrylic paint and charcoal.
Acrylic, pastel, colored pencil, marble dust, Xerox transfers and fabric on paper
5.25 ft. × 4.5 ft
The African artist incorporates into her work photographs she herself took in Nigeria, as well as family images and extracts from popular Nigerian magazines, creating kaleidoscopic patterns that adorn the floors and walls of her compositions. Njideka Akunyili Crosby engages in a visual dialogue through rich collages, combining superimpositions, drawings and painted elements to weave a veritable web of images that enchant the eye.
Drawing inspiration from his Nigerian roots, his artistic style is also influenced by pop culture, personal experience and Western academia. However, his work eludes any attempt at simplistic categorization, oscillating between Americanness and Nigerianness; it is defined above all as an autobiographical expression, exploring a character who doesn’t fit into a box and scrutinizing the meanders of his own history.
In addition to cultural influences, Njideka Akunyili Crosby‘s artistic practice has also been shaped by many actors. Among them, she cites classic and contemporary painters such as Édouard Vuillard and Chris Ofili, as well as the iconic work of Kerry James Marshall. The artist Wangechi Mutu played a decisive role in the evolution of her perception of the image, encouraging her to play with visual multiplicity to bring out a new, evocative force.
Acrylic, charcoal, pastel, colored pencil, collage and Xerox transfers on paper
6.3 ft. × 4.25 ft
Likewise, she has been inspired by the writer Chinua Achebe, whose innovative approach to the English language, which he adapts to his culture, is reflected in the way she weaves her own visual narrative. Photographers such as J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere and Malick Sidibé have also enriched her artistic expression, guiding her towards forms of visual narrative deeply rooted in lived experience.
Njideka Akunyili Crosby ‘s works shine primarily in the museums of her adopted homeland, a veritable artistic identity card that testifies to her influence. Her paintings are exhibited in prestigious institutions such as the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, the Yale University Art Gallery, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art in Manhattan, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.
His art is also echoed on the African continent, where it can be seen at the Zeitz MOCAA Museum of Contemporary Art in Cape Town, South Africa. The diversity of exhibition venues testifies to the richness and universal scope of his work, establishing Njideka Akunyili Crosby as a rising figure in African contemporary art.