How Nwadiogbu’s brushstrokes enhance London cityscape

Award-Winning Nigerian artist, Ken Nwadiogbu’s contemporealism left a breadth of fresh air on the cityscape of the busy Oxford Street in London on his latest show, digital installation on the Façade of Flannels.

Presented by W1 Curates, Nwadiogbu’s art was displayed on digital screen viewable 24 hours a day for two weeks straight, on a three-story building on Oxford Street in London.

He is the first Nigerian and Africa-based artist to grace the screens since 2019 when W1 Curates partnered with the designer shopping store owned Mike Ashley.

Mark Dale, Founder W1Curates, said, “we’ve always been a huge fan of the story behind Ken’s works. After meeting him in person we just had to collaborate. He’s such a humble yet talented guy. We think you’ll be seeing a lot more of his works in years to come. Watch this space.”

This is not Nwadiogbu’s first romance with the London’s city space. In July, he partnered UK-based Shipart for its Vehicle Wrap project tagged ArtOnWheels. The mobile art showcase moved around the city touching iconic places such as Wembley Stadium and Heathrow Airport among others.

Nwadiogbu is a multidisciplinary artist whose art reflects his own human experience and acts as a social commentary on the experience of others. For him, that role comes with a need to be empathetic when understanding and representing the characters captured throughout various contexts in his art.

The self-taught artist is credited for introducing the “Contemporealism” movement and has been recognised for his contribution to the Nigerian arts community.
His art-making process allows him to discover and reveal who we truly are at our core, whether in a moment or in a movement. One may find a reflection in the contemporary realism of his drawn faces, or in the painted expressions of fashion, or home décor – ultimately, his goal reaches beyond realism and lies in a space between authenticity and possibility.

The artist, who is excited about the opportunity, noted that it is the dream of every artist to reach more people with their culture and their art.

Nwadiogbu said, “The feedback has been amazing and this is opening up new opportunities for my art. The goal has been for me to reach new cultures and open up my art for more interrogation in a cross-cultural exchange of ideas. I’m excited at the opportunity presented by my collaboration with W1 Curates and the good people of London.”