About Ibim Cookey
A Nigerian contemporary artist whose work is centered on the history, culture, environment, and people of the Niger Delta. Through portraiture, drawing, and mixed media, Cookey explores themes of memory, identity, displacement, and resilience.
The Artist's Vision
Rather than focusing on dramatic scenes, Cookey uses the human face as a site where history, loss, strength, and resilience become visible. His works serve as records of people and communities whose stories are often overlooked, preserving memories that might otherwise be forgotten.
His practice examines how oil extraction, colonial legacies, and political neglect continue to shape both the landscape and the lives of the people who inhabit the Niger Delta.
The Artist in Action
Ibim's artistic journey encompasses studio practice, public engagement, and exhibitions across the globe.
Creative Process
Public Engagement
Artistic Practice
Background
Originally trained as an architect at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Cookey brings a strong sense of structure and composition to his art practice.
Mediums
Working primarily with graphite, charcoal, ink, oil, and coffee wash, he creates detailed black-and-white portraits that explore personal and collective histories.
Coffee Wash Technique
A visual and symbolic reflection of land, labour, trade, and extraction. It resembles old photographs, worn documents, and stained earth, creating an archival quality.
Symbolism
Ships, barrels, buildings, fabrics, and handwritten text connect themes of migration, spirituality, trade, colonial history, and environmental struggle.
Recent Exhibitions
King Jaja
Alexis Galleries, Lagos
Debut solo exhibition exploring the life and legacy of King Jaja of Opobo
Spills of the Creek
Solo exhibition examining environmental memory and the impact of oil extraction in the Niger Delta
Recognition & Reach
Cookey's work has been exhibited in Nigeria, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, France, Greece, and South Africa. His work is held in private collections across Africa, Europe, and the Americas, as well as in the Commonwealth Collection of the British High Commission, Lagos.
A Young Contemporaries Fellow of Rele Gallery, Cookey has received several awards for his contribution to the arts and has been invited to speak at TEDx Port Harcourt and other public forums.
Discover the Collections
Through drawing and portraiture, Ibim Cookey creates works that preserve memory, question systems of exploitation, and honour the endurance, dignity, and cultural heritage of the Niger Delta and its people.
View Gallery