MARCELLINA AKPOJOTOR

Employing collage and traditional painting techniques, Akpojotor produces richly textured and layered work with compelling visual imagery exploring femininity, personal and societal identity, and issues surrounding women empowerment in contemporary society. Working primarily with discarded pieces of the Ankara fabric, sourced from local fashion houses, commonly known as the “African print fabric” despite its Dutch origin, she investigates the politics of the fabric as a cultural signifier and a conduit for memory and shared energy.

In 2017, she was selected to be part of the Rele Arts Foundation Young Contemporaries exhibition and was awarded the Ronke Ekwensi Salon fellowship following her profile in the publication “The Art of Nigerian Women” by Ben Bosah. Akpojotor’s selected solo exhibitions include Daughters of Esan: The Alpha Generation (2021), Rele Gallery, Los Angeles, USA and She Was Not Dreaming (2018), Rele Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria. Selected group exhibitions include A Closer Look (2024), 70 Square Metres, Shanghai, China; The Flower Show (2023), L.A. Louver Gallery, Los Angeles, USA; Narrative as Reality: Constructing an Identity (2023), Martin Museum of Art, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA; Orita Meta (2021), Rele Gallery, Los Angeles, USA; BLACK VOICES: Friend of My Mind (2020), Ross-Sutton Gallery, New York, USA; and Sisters: The Art of Nigerian Women (2018), Carnegie Gallery, Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Alongside various solo and group exhibitions, Akpojotor has had works presented in important global art fairs including Art Basel Miami Beach, FNB Art Joburg, Art Dubai, and LA Art Show.