PRECIOUS OKOYOMON
b. 1993, United KingdomPrecious Okoyomon is a Nigerian American artist, poet, and chef based in New York City. Their multidisciplinary practice encompasses sculpture, installation, performance, and poetry, exploring themes of identity, colonial history, spirituality, and the relationship between humans and the natural world.
Okoyomon’s work often incorporates organic materials such as soil, plants, and insects to create immersive environments that evolve over time. These living installations investigate the racialisation of the natural world, Christianity, intimacy, and concepts of life, death, and time. Their practice draws connections between plant migration and human movement, frequently utilizing species with complex political histories to highlight the ongoing impact of imperialism while offering alternative perspectives on coexistence, decay, and renewal.
Education and Early Career
At age 11, Okoyomon moved from London to Cincinnati, Ohio. They later attended Shimer College in Chicago, studying pataphysics, or the physics of the imagination. While in college, Okoyomon worked at the three-star Michelin restaurant Alinea for two years.
Notable Exhibitions
Okoyomon has held institutional solo exhibitions at prestigious venues including:
- Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany
- LUMA Westbau, Zurich, Switzerland
- Aspen Art Museum, Colorado, USA
- Performance Space New York, New York, USA
- Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria
Their work has been featured in major international exhibitions such as:
- 59th Venice Biennale (2022)
- 13th Baltic Triennial (2018)
- Okayama Art Summit (2022)
- 11th Sequences Biennial, Reykjavik, Iceland
- 2023 Thailand Biennial, Chiang Rai, Thailand
Recent Developments
In March 2025, Gladstone Gallery announced its representation of Okoyomon, marking a significant milestone in their career. Their exhibition ONE EITHER LOVES ONESELF OR KNOWS ONESELF, which opened in January 2025, at Kunsthaus Bregenz reimagined the gallery as a series of psychoanalytic consulting rooms and dreamlike landscapes.
Awards and Recognition
Precious Okoyomon has won significant awards, including:
- Frieze Artist Award recipient (2021)
- Included in Cultured Magazine‘s ‘30 under 35’ list of notable emerging artists (2019)
- Nominated for the Paulo Cunha E Silva Art Prize (2019).
Precious Okoyomon FAQs
What materials does Precious Okoyomon typically use in their installations?
Okoyomon often incorporates organic materials such as soil, plants, water, and insects, as well as music and sound, to create evolving environments.
What themes does Precious Okoyomon explore in their work?
Their practice investigates identity, colonial history, spirituality, the relationship between humans and nature, migration, racialisation, and concepts of life, death, and time.
Has Precious Okoyomon published books?
Okoyomon has published poetry collections, including Ajebota (2016) and But Did U Die? (2019).
What is significant about Precious Okoyomon’s approach to art-making?
Okoyomon’s work often blends poetry with visual art, creating immersive installations that evolve over time and address complex social and historical issues through the lens of nature and ecology.
Ocula | 2025
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