Victor Ekpuk

Victor Ekpuk is a Nigerian-American artist based in Washington D.C. He is internationally known for his paintings, drawings, and sculptures, which reimagine the ancient Nigerian communication system, Nsibidi, to create his own unique language of abstraction. Ekpuk’s work engages with a diverse spectrum of meaning, often mining historical narratives, the contemporary African diaspora, and humanity’s connection to the sacred.

Ekpuk’s three decade long career has resulted in prestigious national and international exhibitions, including, Dakar Biennial, Senegal; Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris; Museum of Arts and Design, NYC; Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C.; Somerset House, London; New Museum of Contemporary Art, NYC; and the 12th Havana Biennial, Havana, Cuba.

Ekpuk’s work is included in numerous collections including the Bank ABC International Headquarters in the Kingdom of Bahrain; Elizabeth Miller Sculpture Center; Hood Museum; Kiran Nadar Museum of Art; Krannert Art Museum; Newark Museum; Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture; The World Bank; United States Art in Embassies Art Collection; and Smithsonian National Museum of African Art.

In recent years, Ekpuk has focused on large-scale murals, installations, and public art projects. In 2017, he completed a 30 x 18 foot centerpiece mural for the North Carolina Museum of Art. Memphis Brooks Museum then commissioned Ekpuk to create a 58 foot mural titled Essence of Memphis. In 2019, he completed a 20 foot metal sculpture Hope and Dream Under Glory commissioned by the Washington D.C. city government and housed at Boone Elementary School in Southeast Washington, D.C. Also in 2019, he installed The Face, a 17 foot landmark sculpture commissioned by Bank ABC (Arab Bank Corporation) at its world headquarters in The Kingdom of Bahrain.

Ekpuk is a Smithsonian Fellow and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Obafemi Awolowo University. He has been commissioned by The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African Art to design trophies awarded to recipients of the museum’s first African Art Awards, as well as by Random House Publishers to illustrate new covers for Chinua Achebe, Africa’s most celebrated author.