Nnenna Okore is an artist-researcher-teacher who uses artistic practice, pedagogy, and social engagements to address ecological issues. As an internationally acclaimed art practitioner, Okore has been involved in numerous participatory art projects and exhibitions designed to produce dialogue, artmaking, and an awareness of current environmental issues. Working largely with eco-based materials, Okore uses food-based bioplastic materials to create delicate works of art that engender dialogue about waste reduction and sustainable practices in artmaking.
Okore has a B.A. degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka [N-su-ka), and an MA and MFA from the University of Iowa. She recently earned a Ph.D. degree from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Added to her numerous national and international merits, Okore is a recipient of the 2012 Fulbright Scholar Award and Creative Victoria Creators Fund Award from Australia. Her works have been featured in major exhibitions at the Museum of Art and Design, NY; Museum of Contemporary African Diasporic Art, New York; The Spelman Museum of Fine Art, Atlanta; Museu Afro Brasil, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, and the Cleveland Museum of Art, among others. Okore’s recent exhibitions include the 2021 Brugge Triennial, in Belgium and the 2021 Chengdu International Biennial in China.