Famous Umobuarie, a Nigerian visual artist, is making waves with his unique contemporary realism style, which blends figurative art with deep symbolism. Known for his signature yellow halos surrounding his subjects, Umobuarie uses a range of mediums including acrylic paint, pastels, and ballpoint pen to craft his pieces. His work often includes a ‘drip-effect’ and paint splashes, adding movement and texture to his realistic depictions.
His artworks explore themes such as child neglect, dreams, and social injustice. In “Floating Aspirations,” a painting of a boy holding balloons, Umobuarie reflects on the fragility of dreams and how they can slip away if not held onto. His piece “The Boy Whose Destiny Was Severed From Him” addresses child abuse and neglect, based on a tragic real-life story of bullying in a boarding school.
A vocal activist, Umobuarie also tackled the issue of power abuse in his painting “Baboonocrazy,” created during Nigeria’s End Sars protests, which critiques police brutality. Many of his works address pressing social issues, such as femicide, and are available as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), including the popular “Brotherhood,” which explores the bond between twins.
Inspired by music, particularly from Nigerian icon Fela Kuti, Umobuarie’s self-portrait “1975 IV” reflects on the healing power of water, drawing from Kuti’s lyric, “water calms a hot head.” Umobuarie’s works, both physical and digital, continue to captivate international audiences, and his art has been featured in various global exhibitions.
Having studied Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Benin, Umobuarie encourages aspiring artists to believe in their talent and remain consistent in their craft.
