About

My name is Emmanuel Okechukwu, and I am a Nigerian ceramic artist currently based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. I am an artist-in-residence in the Ceramics Program at the University of North Dakota and hold a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Ceramics from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

My practice is rooted in questions of identity, heritage, and cultural memory. Working primarily with functional crockery and sculptural vessels, I explore Nigerian and broader African cultural narratives, critiquing aspects I find restrictive while celebrating those I consider enduringly beautiful. This balance between tension and affirmation is central to my work.

My MFA thesis investigates Nigerian ceramic traditions alongside ideas of gender fluidity, postcolonial identity, and the presence of queer bodies within African histories. Drawing from indigenous visual languages, my forms blur boundaries between masculine and feminine, functional and sculptural, tradition and contemporary expression. Through this work, I challenge colonial narratives that frame African identity as fixed or singular, instead proposing it as fluid and evolving.

Technically, I work with low-temperature clay and majolica glaze, a process that allows me to preserve the vivid color palettes associated with African aesthetics. Pattern and surface are essential to my practice. I frequently incorporate Ankara textile designs onto vessels and platters, translating fabric into ceramic form. By merging textiles and ceramics, my work highlights the interconnectedness of African artistic traditions and expands the language of functional ware.

Through everyday objects such as plates, bowls, and vessels, my work invites intimate interaction while encouraging viewers to reconsider African material culture as a contemporary, living practice capable of shaping global conversations around identity, beauty, and belonging.

My art deeply reflects on my identity and heritage, exploring different facets of my culture. I try to critiques elements I find contentious while celebrating others I deem exceptionally beautiful. This contrast is evident in my vessels.

Lately, I have been incorporating traditional textile motifs in my platters. My aim is to showcase the diverse textile designs across various African cultures, merging two distinct art forms and highlighting the interconnectedness of artistic expression.