Nnenna Okore was born in Australia, raised in Nigeria, and works in the United States. She is a Professor of Art at Chicago’s North Park University. As an internationally acclaimed artist, Okore has been involved in numerous environmental art projects and exhibitions designed to produce research, dialogue, and artmaking about current waste issues. Largely deriving inspiration from her natural surroundings, Okore creates delicate works of art using biodegradable materials like bioplastics to engender awareness about sustainable practices in the art field.
Nnenna Okore has a B.A. from the University of Nigeria, an M.A. and M.F.A. from the University of Iowa, and a Ph.D. from Monash University. In addition to numerous national and international awards, Okore is a recipient of the Fulbright Scholar Award and Creative Victoria Creators Fund. Her works and public art have been featured in major venues, such as the Museum of Art and Design (NY), Spelman Museum of Fine Art, Museu Afro Brasil, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Cleveland Museum of Art, the Bruges Triennial, the Chengdu International Biennial, Moody Center of Art, Bradbury Art Museum, and, more recently, at the University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art.