Nigeria
Born in: 1975
Painting
Obiora Anamaleze was born and raised in Enugu, South-East Nigeria, to a family of five. After his primary and secondary education in Enugu, Obiora moved to the University of Benin, Benin, Edo State where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with a specialization in Painting in 1998, he later obtained a Master of Art and Ph.D. in Fine Arts and Design, with a specialization in Painting from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State in 2012 and 2017, respectively. He has participated in several exhibitions. Obiora is happily married, he lives and works in Port Harcourt, and enjoys swimming, scrabble, and preaching.
Medium
Obiora’s preferred medium is oil and with it, he tries to capture the importance of human emotion and relationships through the synthesis of the three most important aspects of the society - children, women, and nature plus other striking moments of human existence. His work aims to counteract a dehumanized society, with inspiration from his childhood memories and innocence. Obiora’s practice is driven by his passion for the African society.
Obiora tries to achieve a synthesis of styles which have influenced him since he began his art practice, like the figurative and realistic styles of master artists like Michelangelo (whose paintings taught him the importance of expression or action in figures) and Leonardo da Vinci, as well as expressionism and traditional African artistic styles. Studying Rembrandt and Goya taught him the dramatic nature of chiaroscuro, its immediate intimacy, and the use of light.