New Studio Location
205 E 42nd St @ 3rd Ave,
Suite #18 New York, NY 10017
Artist statement
My work is a break from artistic tradition.
It’s an innovation.
A bridge between science and art.
It’s inspired by the prose of life and the universe which manifests in the poetry of symmetry, balance and energy.
Circles represent the cyclical nature of existentialism, continuity and immortality.
The use of circles in art has its root in the ancient tradition of spiritual art and symbolism. However, I employ the use of concentric circles in a new way to celebrate the way I see the world around me. My vehicle to narrate compelling visual stories.
In making my art, I build up multiple layers of paint following cyclical pathways with thick premium oil pigment to create these textural motions. Delicately, but with flourish, every inch of space is given meaning through a breathtaking range of color matching and mixing.
Like a pebble dropped in water, the whole painting takes cue from a focal point and radiates onto an expanding motion of energy. The goal is to achieve symmetry with flair, and precision without the mechanical. The circles are created free hand, guided by mathematical impulse. The process is very intense; requiring solitude and focus during production. This innovative style has altered the boundaries of visual art expression. - Chu Okoli, artist
Grant Award Winner in Painting, courtesy of Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Foundation NY 2018. Medici Medal Winner in Painting, courtesy of The Florence International Biennale of Contemporary Art Italy 2015.
Mural website: www.bigmuralart.com
Artist Bio
Manhattan NYC based artist Chu Okoli is an accomplished and world-renowned visual artist trained in classical drawing and painting. Taking inspiration also from his background as a sculptor, installation artist, designer, writer, innovator, and visionary - he forged a new style in painting using concentric circles as a filter through which he sees the universe and the world around him.
Inspired by the cyclical nature of life and his passion for astronomy, his works tell stories that explore the cyclical balance, symmetry and the energy which radiates consistently across time and space. He creates his circles by free-hand, with precision and fluidity throughout his visual narratives.
His groundbreaking style has won him numerous grants, awards, and acclaim across the art world, including the Prestigious Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation NY Grant for Accomplished Painters 2018, and the Medici Medal Award in Painting at the International Biennale of Contemporary Art, Florence Italy 2015. He was also a Resident at the School of Visual Arts, NY International Artist Residency 2024.
He has exhibited at eminent art fairs such as Art Basel Miami from 2022 - 2024. He also exhibited at the Coral Gable Museum in Miami Florida, the ArtExpo New York, and the Contemporary Art Fair Santa Fe NM. His works reside in public and private collections; and at both his studios in Manhattan, New York City and Sawyer Yards Heights, Houston Texas.
Awards
Adolph & Esther Gotlieb Foundation NY Grant Award Winner in Painting, 2018.
Medici Medal Award Winner in Painting at the 10th Edition of the Florence International Contemporary Art Biennale Italy, 2015.