Oliver Enwonwu is a third-generation artist; his grandfather was a reputable traditional sculptor, while his father, Professor Ben Enwonwu MBE, is celebrated as Africa’s pioneer modernist artist.
In his paintings, Oliver explores liminal spaces, creating layered languages to nurture notions of freedom, decoloniality and interdependence through narratives of the body. With reverence for ancestral knowledge and our personal and collective histories, he draws upon autobiographical stories to challenge dominant narratives, imagine new futures and ultimately heal by leveraging the transformative power of art to foster mental wellbeing. In 2024, he was the first recipient of the Akoje Residency, Dumfries House, Scotland, organised through the King’s Foundation and The Akoje Foundation.
Enwonwu has over 20 years of experience as a curator, art administrator, author and publisher. His expertise also spans art advisory and programme management, as well as strategy and development.
He is the founder, executive director, and a trustee of The Ben Enwonwu Foundation and sits on the board of the Lagos Biennial. The publisher of Omenka, Africa’s first art, business, and luxury-lifestyle magazine, he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, the Institute of Management Consultants, and the Society of Nigerian Artists, where he served as president from 2011 to 2021. Enwonwu is also a member of the British Art Network and the Folkestone Art Society.
