Artist bio
Joseph Obanubi (b 1994) is a visual artist born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria and resides in Illinois, USA. His multifaceted practice encompasses a vast array of disciplines, including graphic and visual design, art direction, and art education. Obanubi's practice is characterized by an interplay between digital and tactile experimentation, as he continually seeks to harmonize visual and spatial design.Obanubi’s practice has been recognized through grants and prizes from the British council, Mellon Foundation, CAP Prize, amongst others. He has a Bachelor and Master’s of Art in Graphic design and Master’s of Fine Art in New media from the University of Lagos, Nigeria and University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign respectively.
Personal Statement
Obanubi’s practice is constructed out of three main ideologies: survival, interest, and exploration. My work explores the relationship between identity, fantasy, play, technologies, and globalization. He describes his art making practice as a visual bricolage — a (re)construct of fragments found in everyday experiences taken from their original context into a new one. His creative ideology stems from concepts of delusion, black speculative art, african Futurism, and experimentation, as I am attracted to in-between states as opposed to directness. Research methods include physical and digital image making techniques, photographing, drawing, collaging, reading, traveling, observation, interview, experiments, documentary, and movies.
Some primary texts he reviews are music (Afro Beat, Soul, Funk, Blues, Jazz, Funk, Experimental, Hip-Hop, Classical) live musical performance, film, social media, African oratory/storytelling, and Fictions. Obanubi’s ongoing Research questions and statements revolve around strategies of constructing alternative ways of seeing and blurring the divide between what is present and what is absent. He is concerned with materiality and what it communicates in his practice. He is constantly exploring and navigating the roles of time and ephemeralness as it concerns (new) technologies in his work
Press / Publications / Features
https://loeildelaphotographie.com/en/cap-prize-contemporary-african-photography-dv/
https://www.artshelp.com/joseph-obanubis-futuristic-photographs/
https://www.capprize.com/landing/winners2021
https://loeildelaphotographie.com/en/joseph-obanubi-at-akaa-2020-dv/
https://www.see-zeen.com/joseph-obanubi
https://contemporaryand.com/exhibition/hilary-balu-and-joseph-obanubi/
https://www.lookingglasscollective.com/josephobanubi
https://reallifemag.com/speech-bubbles/
https://www.1854.photography/2020/07/wateraid-10-years-of-clean-water/
https://hri.illinois.edu/news/second-cohort-interseminars-graduate-fellows-announced
https://www.museorigins.org/discover/techno-heads-by-joseph-obanubi
https://www.atelierboba.com/quelques-projets/joseph-obanubi
https://www.artandaboutafrica.com/artiststudio/nigeria/joseph-obanubi/
https://uaac-aauc.com/2020/b7.html
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDMK-EoJsPG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/CO-ncibC5Zq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://universes.art/en/art-destinations/sharjah/art-events/vantage-point-sharjah-8/joseph-obanubi
http://sharjahart.org/sharjah-art-foundation/exhibitions/vantage-point-sharjah-8
https://www.1-54.com/marrakech/artists/obanubi-joseph/
http://www.magnin-a.com/cspdocs/exhibition/files/press_release_joseph_obanubi_hilary_balu.pdf
https://ko-artspace.com/artists/33-joseph-obanubi/
https://www.capprize.com/landing/shortlist2021
https://www.collectorseries.tv/collectorseries/1/18
https://photovoguefestival.vogue.it/visions-from-the-world/project/lagosphoto-festival?refresh_ce=
https://uaac-aauc.com/2020/b7.html
https://www.wateraid.org/ng/stories/tenxten
https://www.arthousefoundation-ng.com/artists
https://dtdf.de/portfolio/joseph-obanubi-2020/
https://diemotive.de/joseph-obanubi-nominated-for-merck-prize-2020/
https://www.montaguecontemporary.com/exhibitions/25-lagos-photo-21-osborne-macharia/overview/
https://www.capprize.com/landing/2019/5/15/cap-prize-2019-winners-announcement
https://www.diptykmag.com/3-jeunes-artistes-africains-a-suivre-absolument/
https://www.capprize.com/landing/shortlist2019
https://arthouse-ng.com/artists/obanubi-joseph
https://potd.pdnonline.com/2019/11/04/57589/
https://thenativemag.com/deeply-african-appeal-polartics/
https://www.omenkaonline.com/joseph-obanubi-on-afro-surrealism-and-metaphysics/
https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/art-design/2020/07/pictures-water-human-right
https://www.montaguecontemporary.com/exhibitions/25-lagos-photo-21-osborne-macharia/overview/
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8qeskweb33AMk9wckZjVjF6R2oybWJjdTRCYllfSmowSXRJ/view
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8qeskweb33AMk9wckZjVjF6R2oybWJjdTRCYllfSmowSXRJ/view
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8qeskweb33AbEVtR0Nrak55cXlJZ0F0Y3lCemdDZnZ6cERV/view
https://akaafair.com/artistes?id=6519
https://akaafair.com/artistes?id=6519
https://www.blind-magazine.com/news/ten-great-reasons-to-attend-art-paris/
https://arthouse-ng.com/artists/obanubi-joseph/
https://www.1-54.com/london/artists/obanubi-joseph/
https://www.1-54.com/marrakech/artists/obanubi-joseph/
https://www.artnewspaper.fr/2020/12/07/joseph-obanubi-water-aid-iv-serie-techno-heads
https://www.arthousefoundation-ng.com/artists
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/11/lagosphoto21-a-kaleidoscope-of-memories/
http://www.artcapitalghana.com/joseph-obanubi-another-afro-futurist/
https://www.1854.photography/2020/07/wateraid-10-years-of-clean-water/
https://artxlagos.com/Joseph-Obanubi-Dusk-2018-arch-d
https://twitter.com/artxlagos/status/1462402270713241603
https://lfi-online.de/ceemes/en/news/cap-2021_22-1007409.html
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2021/11/14/engaging-offering-so-sizzling-in-their-freshness/
https://www.voice.com/josephobanubi