FRAMING CULTURE: CHIEMEKA OFFOR
—CHIMEKA OFFOR
“Because I began within, I continue to see everything else through the truth once I found it in myself. Because I began within, I continue to see everything else through the truth once I found it in myself.”
— CHIEMEKA OFFOR
—CHIMEKA OFFOR
HOW HAS YOUR BACKGROUND OR CULTURAL HERITAGE SHAPED THE WAY YOU SEE AND CREATE ART?
Nigerians are some of the most poetic people I know and also the most imaginative. We can make the most beautiful things out of the most difficult situations. I’m highly influenced by many aspects of the culture that I grew up in. From Nollywood and the fantastical surreal worlds that are played out on screen, to the vibrant gleams of awoke, ankara, and adire that my mother and her mother would teach me to adore myself with.
The art of African Hairstyling is a whole world in itself that is very dear to me and is the most prominent inspiration for most current work. Hairstyling is the first way I learned how to be an artist. Through styling the crown on my own scalp, I saw its beauty. The fact that my hair defines gravity is now my favorite thing about it, though I didn’t always see it that way.
WHAT ROLE DOES VULNERABILITY PLAY IN YOUR WORK?
Vulnerability is everything. If I am not making the most honest work, I do not feel fully fulfilled in it. Self-portraiture taught me this. It gave me a chance to see myself exactly as I am with no judgment or expectations. Because I began within, I continue to see everything else through the truth once I found it in myself.
ARE THERE ANY ROUTINES, RITUALS, OR HABITS THAT HELP GROUND YOUR CREATIVE PRACTICE?
Movement and music are huge parts of my life. Dance has allowed me to feel and move through things that are hard to communicate and understand with language. When I make images, it feels like a dance in the same way; I don’t have to over-explain or over-intellectualize; I just get to be. I meditate, pray, journal, move, and listen to music that lifts me up every morning. If I’m able to set a strong foundation of what I want my day to look like at the start, I am given all the tools necessary to do anything and everything I aspire to achieve. I am grateful I make time to meet myself every morning so that whatever follows, I am more than prepared for.
-CHIMEKA OFFOR
WHAT DOES DISCIPLINE LOOK LIKE FOR YOU WHEN INSPIRATION DISAPPEARS?
It is usually in the moments that I don’t feel motivated to make or do something, that I need it the most. My future self keeps me going when I need the extra reminder of why I do it qll. Inspiration never disappears for me, but burnout is real. My creative journey is a rhythmic one that needs and requires proper rest to rebuild and go back into all of the ideas and dreams I am morphing into reality. I am not a fan of toxic productivity, and understanding the waves of my journey has allowed me to be honest and work with what discipline truly looks like for me, and not for anyone else. There’s a big difference between laziness and truly having nothing leftt to give. Listening to myself, getting back up, and resting when I need to are a big part of how I stay consistent throughout my practice.
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU'VE HAD TO UNLEARN IN ORDER TO GROW CREATIVELY?
Not all work needs to be seen. Some images I make are purely just for myself. Through this belief, I am free from perfectionism and am always reminded of why I started in the first place. To move through the feelings I had within my heart that couldn’t always be communicated through words. My work allows me to see myself first, and when I’m ready, I can offer it to others.
—CHIMEKA OFFOR
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN A PIECE IS TRULY FINISHED?
This is the golden question! Sometimes I come back to work years later, and it teaches me something or means much more to me than it did when I initially made it. I am always continuing to evolve and experiment. I don’t ever really believe a piece can ever be finished.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CURRENT CHAPTER OF YOUR CREATIVE LIFE, AND HOW IS IT REFLECTED IN YOUR WORK?
This chapter of my creative life feels like a rebirth. There has been a lot of unseen work and experimentation I’ve been doing for years, and I am now ready for it all to come to light. I am grateful for the spaces I’ve been granted to do so. It has led me to more community and even deeper understanding of where I am going next. Deeper vulnerability and connection with those beyond myself have been the biggest gift of this rebirth.
IN AN ERA OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND CONSTANT VISIBILITY, HOW DO YOU STAY TRUE TO YOUR CREATIVE VISION WHILE ENGAGING AN AUDIENCE?
Finding the sweet spot between these two things is a constant balancing act. Social media can be super inspiring and a connective tissue for so many creative communities and collaborations that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. It can also be very overstimulating at times! Breaks are necessary, and I'm learning more and more how essential it is to know when to take a step back.
—CHIMEKA OFFOR
WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT THE FUTURE OF YOUR PRACTICE, AND WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO EXPLORE NEXT?
Everything!
BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE EMERGING ARTISTS ABOUT ADVOCATING FOR FAIR COMPENSATION AND PROTECTING THE VALUE OF THEIR WORK?
The worst they can say is no, but you will never know unless you try. Especially if the opportunity is reaching out to you specifically, remember your worth in those moments and know that you deserve to be compensated fairly for your unique gift.
WHAT KIND OF IMPACT DO YOU HOPE YOUR WORK HAS ON THOSE WHO EXPERIENCE IT?
My practice magnifies women and femmes of the African diaspora. They are who I do everything for. I started creating to feel less alone, to remind myself that my people and I are beautiful and deserve to be immortalized. I hope young black girls see themselves in my images and remember they can do and be anything.
