Chinemerem 'Eme' Omeh (b.1994, Nsukka, Nigeria)
Born in Nsukka, Nigeria, and obtaining a BA in fine and applied arts from the University of Nigeria, Omeh is a visual raconteur, with multi-faceted and layered canvases that are rooted in a tradition of storytelling, often referencing parables, myths, and personal fictions.
Omeh’s work depicts fragmented memories of his childhood in Nigeria conflated against his current day experiences in Atlanta. Recollection, particularly that of his formative years are a central thematic in his work. Growing up as the youngest in a very large family, Omeh fought to prove himself and make his presence known, reflecting in later life that ‘attention is the most important human connection’. He struggled to read and write as a child and considered himself to be a slow developer, as expressed in the work ‘Parable of a Late Bloomer’. Unable to communicate through traditional forms, he started painting as he found it to be the most effective medium through which to express himself.
His work often features children and bold colours that appeal to a universal eye, and in so doing speak a common language that is uncomplicated, and illustrative. In a similar vein, one can find numerous references to schools and classrooms in his work, for example the black and white tiled floors and the mathematical equations that pepper his canvases; are the artists’ way of reconciling his own shortcomings at school. This overcoming of a perceived lack, and the broader theme of transformation is present via the motif of the open door or window allowing the light to enter his works; metaphorically allowing for new knowledge, revision of self, and change to occur. This window, or crack that ruptures the interiors and lets the light in is considered by the artist akin to familial wisdom and knowledge being passed down, most commonly through the conduit of family, himself being fascinated with the differing iterations of familial ties, what they can mean, and the influence it has in shaping a life. Teachings, fables, and parables more broadly, are points of curiosity for Omeh. This is echoed in the artists’ interest in the early renaissance artists, and a number of contemporary figures today; it is often not the content, nor context of certain people he admires, rather their ability to weave narratives and centre themselves as myth makers or cultural icons.
Omeh’s canvases themselves are intricately built up, often with dozens of layers of paint and various materials stacked upon each other like tissue paper to create dynamic sheets of memory and narrative. Using materials such as ink, acrylic, gesso, and oil to create richly impastoed moments, whilst others remain smooth and sparse, his canvases are texturally intriguing. This is to allude to the storytelling tradition, what is dark, valuable, lost through the generations and the passing of time. Omeh remarks, ‘my aim is not to paint beautiful works, it is to paint the truth’. This use of layering, particularly of silhouettes or stencils of figures in the foreground of the works lend a timeless sense, sometimes antiquated - especially in the tea-stained hues and aged colour palette, or sometimes futuristic in bold neons of his more recent series. This makes the works both familiar and foreign at the same time and within that chasm leaves room for subjective interpretation.
Omeh has been included in numerous solo and group exhibitions across Georgia, Miami, and New York, however, this is to be his first presentation in Europe.