Karo Akpokiere is one of the African participants in the Venice Biennial
About:
Karo Akpokiere is a child of the 80’s born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria on a robust and consistent diet of cartoons, comic books and drawing time. He received a diploma in Graphic Design from the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Nigeria in 2006.
His work attempts to strike an effective balance between the personal and commercial aspects of production in graphic design, illustration and pattern design. Using traditional and digital drawing techniques, he creates works that are experiential and reflective of his interests in employing graphic design, illustration, pattern design to pass messages that are sometimes personal, humorous and social.
Akpokiere has taken part in several exhibitions locally and internationally, including having his first solo exhibition 26/365: An exhibition of Illustrated letters Goethe-Institut, Lagos, Nigeria (2011) and the first Lagos Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Public Art Exhibition, Lagos (2012). The buses usually used for advertising by companies and churches, featured a solo showing of drawings by Akpokiere. They covered both ends of Lagos from the Lagos Island to the Mainland.
Recent group exhibitions have included The Double Trouble Exhibition, Kunsthalle M3, Berlin, Germany, The Comic-Zeichner Seminar Austtellung at the Comic Salon Erlangen (2014), Another Africa – Contemporary Design in Africa, ULUPUH Gallery, Tkalciceva 14, Zagreb, Croatia (2013), Art Dubai, Marker programme (2013), FAX exhibition, South London Gallery, London, England, (2011) and The Green Summary Exhibition, Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos, Nigeria (2010).
Akpokiere is currently the guest artist at the Atelierhaus Mengerzeile, Berlin, Germany. He mostly lives and works in Lagos, Nigeria, where he draws daily and explores avenues to make his work visible and accessible online and offline. (text website artist)
All works © karo akpokiere 2015