The pains of growing, 2022 Oil and Acrylic on canvas

Chidinma Nnoli paints her pieces with dreamlike floral details, muted tones, and evocative portraiture that tells stories. We flip through each painting like pages and take moments to saturate ourselves in their somewhat haunting gaze. We experience her elegant compositions and interpretations that take us on a journey only the heart understands. Down to the expression and positions of her figures, which take us to an oasis expressed in whispers. Through Nnoli’s affluent painting command, her brushwork follows, and we ruminate over the contemporary and surrealist elements of her narrative.

“With figures posed like master paintings (but not visually constrained by a specific period), Chidinma is interested
in creating paintings that feel like a hazy yet vivid memory that contemplates the importance of a subject’s embodied experience(s), overlaying the past unto the present, while insisting on the emotional link between body and space of- ten in conflict with self and a background mostly saturated with religion and gendered obligations.”

Chidinma’s artwork beckons the audience to delve into a complex labyrinth of inquiries. Within our societies, her work explores the intricate structures of gendered perceptions that influence our lives, as well as our interconnected responsibilities to one another and ourselves. The subject she portrays are embraced by external surroundings that possess their consciousness, intricately linked in a mystical unity, speaking a language beyond easy identification.

There is a long history of literature influencing art, and poetry is one of the many forms that give mouthwatering paintings a substantial subject matter. We see John William Waterhouse’s ‘Lady of Shalott,’ inspired by a poem of the same name, a 13th lyrical Ballard which tells a profound story. Like John and many other artists, bittersweet poetry references Chidinma’s works. Rather than confining herself to painting, she ventures into this realm. Her poems can be perceived as vivid recollections translated onto the canvas, floating between imagination and tangible reality, veiled by the mist of a partially recalled dream.

Chidinma’s portrayals of femininity are deeply rooted
in her own life experiences, shaped by an environment infused with conservative and oppressive beliefs, burdened by gender-based stereotypes and societal expectations.

Through her art, she exposes the detrimental nature of these toxic ideologies, which are often intertwined with religious and misogynistic influences. The paintings play a crucial role in bringing attention to and dismantling the forces that seek to limit women’s complete freedom of self-expression.

Join us on a journey as cover artist and poet Chidinma Nnoli, provides deeper glimpses into her artwork, emotional sensitivities, sources of inspiration, and aspirations for the future. Discover the intricate layers of her poetic creations as she unveils the thoughts and emotions embedded within her work. Gain insights into the profound influences that shape her artistic expressions and witness her visionary plans as she endeavors to bring them to fruition in the times ahead.

Read Full Interview in Our Issue 8