Artists

Peter Uka is a Nigerian-born painter whose vivid figurative canvases draw on memories of his childhood in Nigeria, blending personal history with broader reflections on cultural identity and globalization. Classically trained in realistic figuration at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Uka fuses recollected imagery with time-specific references—afro hairstyles, bell-bottom jeans, and other emblems of 1970s and ’80s style—capturing moments of joy, camaraderie, and nostalgia. His portraits and scenes balance local customs with global influences, highlighting how international trends permeated everyday life in Nigeria and underscoring the shared cultural threads that bind his two homes, Nigeria and Germany.

Uka’s paintings serve as a corrective to stereotypical views of non-Western life, presenting instead the multiplicity, intimacy, and vibrancy of Black experience. Through his lush palettes and attentive figuration, he conveys both timeless human emotion and the specific textures of lived memory.

His work has been exhibited at institutions including Haus der Kunst, Munich; Kunsthaus Mettmann, Germany; the National Museum Onikan, Lagos; and the DIDI Museum, Lagos. Uka’s paintings are held in major collections such as the Flag Art Foundation, CCS Bard Hessel Museum of Art, the Long Museum, and K20 Düsseldorf Kunstsammlung.