Affordable Art Fair NYC, Spring 2025

Mayowa Nwadike

For all inquiries, please email info@warnescontemporary.com

Mayowa Nwadike (b. 1998) is a self-taught Nigerian multidisciplinary artist based in Manhattan, New York. He recently completed an artist residency at The Anderson Center (Minneapolis, MN).

Nwadike’s work has been exhibited in both galleries and museums, including Eleventh Hour and Warnes Contemporary (Brooklyn, NY), the Museum of Science & Industry (Chicago, IL), The African American Museum (Dallas, TX), and the Southampton African American Museum (Southampton, NY). He was recently awarded Best in Show at the 27th Carroll Harris Simms National Black Art Competition & Exhibition (Dallas, TX). His most recent solo exhibition was held at Warnes Contemporary (Brooklyn, NY).

His work has been featured in various print publications, including New Visionary Magazine, Suboart Magazine, and Art Connect Magazine. He has also been featured in video interviews highlighting his artistic journey and process.

In his work, Nwadike explores the search for self-discovery through themes of human identity, societal constructs, and aesthetic symbolism. Working in layers of acrylic, charcoal, and sometimes coffee on canvas, he constructs compositions that blend realistic portraiture with symbolic storytelling. His powerful figures emerge through subtle cues—expressions, hands, and attire—while more overt biblical references weave intricate narratives of struggle and triumph.

At the core of Nwadike’s practice is an intimate exploration of vulnerability. His subjects inhabit private moments of self-discovery, confronting the tension between their true selves and the expectations imposed by gender, class, or religious affiliation. Through these depictions, his work challenges societal norms and unspoken moral codes, offering visual narratives that prompt deeper reflection.

Each painting is rooted in Nwadike’s personal experiences and close observation of human behavior. By capturing emotional ambiguities, his work invites viewers to look beyond the surface and engage with the psychological and symbolic layers embedded within each piece—ultimately reflecting on their own lives and identities.