About the Artist
Full name: Uma, Nnanna Okorie Artist name: Uma N. O.
Nnanna Okorie Uma is a Nigerian born, self taught visual artist whose practice spans realistic painting, portraiture, large scale murals and expressive abstract works. He works primarily with acrylic on canvas and charcoal on acid free paper. His journey into art began long before formal recognition, shaped by observation, discipline and a deep curiosity about human emotion and everyday life.…
Over the years, his works have been collected across different parts of the world, with notable pieces including Flow, Morning Rose, Joy, Jungle's Grace, Bursting Bubbles and the widely celebrated Didi. His career includes exhibitions at the Calabar Art Fair 2019 and the Abuja Art Exhibition 2024, as well as winning the Fan Art Artist Award in 2019.
Beyond studio practice, Nnanna is known for monumental murals, including a 100 metre mural for Petros Farms, works for Aridon Gym, and an iconic commemorative mural at the Asele Institute honouring the legacy of Prof Uche Okeke. He holds a Masters degree in Conflict, Security and Development from the University of Sussex, alongside earlier studies in Religious Studies and Physics Electronics.
His art is driven by philosophical reflection, human resilience and the quiet stories hidden inside ordinary life.
Artist statement: My work explores human emotion, memory and quiet strength through realism and symbolic light. I use familiar scenes to ask deeper questions about identity, struggle and hope, drawing meaning from everyday life and the unseen forces that shape us.
