Ken Nwadiogbu Lights up London’s Oxford Street with Digital Installation

Yinka Olatunbosun

Award-winning Nigerian artist, Ken Nwadiogbu’s ‘contemporealism’ engulfed the cityscape of the busy Oxford Street in London at his latest exhibition of digital installation on the Façade of Flannels.

Presented by W1 Curates, Nwadiogbu’s art was displayed on a 4k digital screen viewable for twenty-four hours a day for two weeks, at a three-storey building on Oxford Street in London. This is indeed a history made as Nwadiogbu is the first Nigerian and African-based visual artist to be so honoured on the screen since 2019 when W1 Curates partnered with the designer shopping store owned Mike Ashley.

“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,” said Mark Dale, Founder W1Curates.

In July, the artist partnered the UK-based Shipart for its Vehicle Wrap project tagged ‘ArtOnWheels.’ The mobile art showcase was made to tour the city touching iconic places such as Wembley Stadium and Heathrow Airport among others.

A multi-disciplinary artist, Nwadiogbu whose art reflects his own human experience acts as a social commentator on those 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 recognized 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 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,” he said.