Njideka Akunyili Crosby

The universe Nigerian-American Njideka Akunyili Crosby depicts in her work is, according to her, neither Nigeria nor America, but some other space, the space that every immigrant occupies. Akunyili Crosby creates colourful collage paintings which weave together intimate moments with commercial images from Nigeria, and reference Nigeria’s history and postcolonial present. The paintings live and breathe her trans- and multicultural fine arts fascination and identity. Akunyili Crosby became the talk of the contemporary art world when the price of her work soared dramatically. Last year, her pieces went from selling for around $100.000 to selling for more than $3 million, clearly demonstrating she is one of the most popular artists today.

More quotes by Njideka Akunyili Crosby: 

• "This is what I’m trying to do with my painting: work within the tradition I inherited but make moves that signal my difference from it."   

• "My art addresses my internal tension between my deep love for Nigeria, my country of birth, and my strong appreciation for Western culture, which has profoundly influenced both my life and my art."