February 5th - March 31st 2025
Alcoves ( right Window )
Alcoves ( right Window )
Artist Bio
Odera Igbokwe (they/them) is an illustrator and painter located on the unceded and traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Odera was born of Igbo parents who immigrated to the lands of the Lenape people. As a result they are constantly excavating, responding, and envisioning in spite of the fractures that occur via diaspora. Their artwork is an exploration of storytelling through Afro-diasporic spiritualism, Black resilience, embodied transformations, and redefining the archetypal hero’s journey. More specifically, they are intrigued by Nigerian spiritualism, folklore, and sacred practices, and how that relates to contemporary communities across the Americas.
Their artwork weaves together ancient narratives with Afrofuturist visions to explore present day realities. It explores the magic of the Black Queer imagination, and questions how to build a home from an intersectional lens. Ultimately these works are a gateway to healing from collective and generational traumas, and assert that healing can be a celebration of joy, mundanity, pain, and fantasy coexisting. As an artist, Odera works with clients and galleries to create work that is deeply personal, soulful, and intersectional.
Odera holds a BFA in Illustration from Rhode Island School of Design and studied West African Dance Movement and Theatre Arts at Brown University with New Works/World Traditions. Their work has featured in exhibitions, publishing, and gaming. Recent collaborations and exhibitions include working with Scholastic, Twitter, Vancouver Art Gallery, Museum of Anthropology at UBC, and CBC Arts.
Art Description : The Spirit Child
The Spirit Child is the purest version of ourselves. They represent the inner child that roams freely between the physical and spiritual realm. They freely jump from the precipice to start new journeys, knowing they are protected by the embrace of Spirit and the guidance of their astral companions. Whether that means falling into physical embodiment, or floating upwards into the collective cosmos, The Spirit Child is relentless in their need to explore, imagine, and play. The Spirit Child is a reminder that new beginnings are always possible, that we contain multitudes, and finding yourself is as simple as honouring your journey.