Paschal Ugwu
Nigerian based VISUAL ARTIST
Paschal Ugwu, born in 1996 in Orba, Nigeria, is an artist based in Abuja. He holds a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Paschal specializes in expressive figurative painting, working mainly with acrylic on canvas, as well as charcoal, pastel, and oil on paper and canvas. His distinctive style features unconventional figures, often with exaggerated eyes and a single ear, reflecting human emotions, personal impressions, and everyday life. He has exhibited his work in shows such as Uplifted Spirits, participated in the Rele Bootcamp residency, and featured in the Plus 234 Art Fair. In 2023, he was a finalist for the Kuenyehia Art Prize.
My work reflects emotions of curiosity, resilience, vulnerability, and strength. After losing hearing in one ear as a child, I became more reliant on visual cues—a perspective that shapes my art today.
The figures I paint, with their exaggerated eyes and single ear, represent how I experience the world. They invite deeper connection and remind us that perception is personal and varied. Through form, texture, and color, I capture often-overlooked moments, celebrating the beauty of seeing and feeling life in a different way.
University of Nigeria, Nsukka_ Bachelor of Arts_ 2014-2018
2025: solo exhibition, organised by KAC Gallery of Fellow Artists, NYC.
2024: participant, +234 Art Fair, Lagos State, Nigeria.
2025: participant, +234 Art Fair, Lagos State, Nigeria.
2023: finalist Kuenyehia Art Prize, Accra, Ghana
2021: participant, bootcamp by Rele Art Foundation, under Rele Gallery, Nigeria.
2025: participant, “To Have and To Be” group exhibition organised by Nomadic Art Gallery, Abuja.
2025: Solo show organised by KAC Gallery of Fellow Artists, New York City.
2024: participant, “Boom” group exhibition organised by Alexis Gallery, Lagos.
2024: participant, “Advancing Human Rights Through Art”, Artvocacy Forum 2024, organised by UN and Windsor Gallery, Abuja.
2024: participant, “A Thin Line” a group exhibition organised by artists, shown at Dela Roke Art Gallery, Port Harcourt.
2024: participant, “Survive and Thrive” group exhibition, organised by Windsor Art Gallery, Abuja.
2024: participant, “Nigerian Bar Association 20th Anniversary Conference”, a group exhibition organised by Windsor gallery, Abuja.
2024: participant, “Uplifted Spirits”, a group exhibition organised by Soto Gallery, Lagos
2024: participant, “VVS” organized by Ifeanyi Nwune, a group exhibition at Kokopeli Gallery, Lagos.
2024: participant, “Unveiled Journeys”, duo exhibition organised by unx.art, Abuja.
2023: participant, “The Last Act”, group exhibition organised by Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Lagos.
2023: participant, “Undiscovered”, group exhibition organised by Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Abuja.
2023: participant, group exhibition organised by Arnheim Collection, Ibadan.
2023: participant, “Run Through Walls” duo Art Exhibition, organised by Art Roost Gallery, Nigeria.
2022: participant, “The Mispredilection of Aboye: a marriage of literature and art”, under A Whitespace Creative Agency (AWCA), Lagos, Nigeria.
2020: participant, “In Time like This”, group exhibition, Orange Gallery, Calabar, Nigeria.
2020: participant, “The Manifesto I & II”, Nnamdi Azikiwe Library, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
2018: participant, “Dreams Alive 13, Marlima Basement, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
2018: participant, “Life in My City Art Festival”, Thought Pyramid, Abuja.
2017: Participant, “Walls and Patterns Painting Workshop” by Alliance Francais, Enugu State