EXPRESSING Identity Through Painting
Discover the striking works of Chinedu Victor, blending vibrant colors and textures to tell powerful stories of Black culture, identity, and personal history.
"Chinedu Victor was featured in Vogue for his participation in the 2025 TriBeCa Ball at the New York Academy of Art, where his work, "Chinedu", contributed to the event's celebration of emerging artists exploring themes of memory and identity."
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Chinedu Victor Uyaelunmo is an artist based in Los Angeles. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, his first encounter with art came at about three years old when he found himself struck by the paintings of a neighbor’s grandfather. He started to draw in his free time, and by the time he was seven, Chinedu began to recognize his own talent for drawing characters and superheroes at school.
Chinedu moved to the United States at age 14 on a sports scholarship and continued drawing, either in a sketchbook or on an iPad. The thought of painting, which wasn’t so feasible to him as a kid, started to culminate. But he never found the time or will to actually pursue it. After an injury that took him out of a year in basketball, he took up digital art, still pushing away painting, and refined his sketching skills.
After graduating high school, he started playing basketball in college. While on an athletic scholarship, he discovered that a fellow Nigerian student, who was an athlete like him, painted. Stunned by the ability to multi task between playing sports and painting. Chinedu decided to pick up a paintbrush. His passion to paint caused him to leave basketball, and his focus shifted to an entirely new medium.
His newfound passion quickly filled the walls of his dorm room with artwork. Nothing could stop him once he had started.
Chinedu eventually decided to participate in a college art show, not expecting much out of it. Instead, he sold several paintings. Fellow artists and enthusiasts stressed that he continued painting and showcasing his talents. Motivated, Chinedu applied to art school.
Studying at the New York Academy of Art, he polished his signature style: contemporary portraiture. In 2023, he displayed his art at the Eye to Eye exhibition, and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree.
Chinedu's paintings examine palpable emotion. Vibrant colors, thick textures, and expansive canvases allow the viewer to feel with him. His art, which primarily involves oil and acrylic paints, invokes a more substantial and positive understanding of Black culture.
His major exhibitions include the New York Academy of Art, the Tribeca Ball, and the Baltimore County Arts Guild and multiple group shows. His paintings have been purchased by numerous notable collectors including Steve Wilson of 21Museum Hotels, Chris Wilson, and Neiman Marcus CEO - Geoffroy van Raemdonk. Through his art, Chinedu uplifts the beauty of Black culture and shares personal stories that are often overlooked or uncaptured.
Not Just Seen, Felt. Follow Chinedu Victor.
As my practice grows, I am drawn toward a new series of work to recreate my childhood memories in Nigeria that were never captured in photographs.
Each painting is an addition to the ongoing dialogue between the self and the shared human experience. By highlighting power in vulnerability, I translate the subtlety in moments into driving visual statements, bridging the intimate and the monumental.
Discover art that speaks to the soul.
Inspiration, Identity, culture.
Chinedu Victor’s artistic journey and vision
My paintings evolve with me. With intense color and bold subject matter, I capture a visual record of the underlying thoughts and feelings that persist beneath the surface.
In my portraits, I create an instant connection through a subject’s pressing gaze, inviting the viewer into the domain of a captured moment. My work grapples with individual and shared narratives, stemming from my experiences with my own Nigerian culture and identity.
My work has been exhibited at the New York Academy of Art, Tribeca Ball, take home a nude, the Baltimore County Arts Guild and multiple group shows. As my practice grows, I’m increasingly drawn to exploring new themes and narratives through my work. I'm currently developing a new series that reimagines childhood memories—moments that were never captured in photographs. Each painting is an addition to the ongoing dialogue between the self and the shared human experience.
