Chimemelie Okafor

Artist statement

Chimemelie Okafor (b. 2003) is a Nigerian multidisciplinary artist and designer based in Toronto. She is completing a BFA in Drawing and Painting at OCAD University (2026) Working primarily with oil paint, she also explores drawing and collage. Her practice is rooted in storytelling, using colour, patterns, and surreal imagery to explore the complexity of the human experience through her own lens. Her body and face appear as recurring elements throughout her work, accompanied by gestural play which captures the shifting states of being. She believes that everyone holds multiple identities at once, shaped not only by where they’ve been and how they feel in a given moment, but also by those who came before them.