Ikechukwu (Ike) Odimegwu is a comedian, visual artist, and producer who was born and raised in Nigeria before making his way to the United States in 2006. He is currently based in New York and uses the alias, "Ike slimster,” to explore his fields of interest from art and music to comedy and design.
His process varies in approach. Some of his ideas are reflections or highlights of memories and scenes to illustrate his journey from his childhood to present day, created with multi-faceted textures, colors, and light. Growing up, Ike would periodically see black marble statues, and to him, they seemed eternal, mystical, and otherworldly. This perspective influenced the nature of his style of blending, which he does by using acrylic, artfully creating a subtle softness and consistency. Ike aims for the spectator to not feel like they exist in the same reality as his work, but instead, to viscerally feel the desire to understand and form a connection. His work has been described as resembling images from African folklore or Afrofuturism, which he attests to his childhood and Nigerian upbringing, as well as fusion with his currency identity and future.
Ike studied at Queensborough Community College, and has been affiliated with The Freedom Africa Project (TFAP) and the Maasai Water Project (MWP). To learn more about Ike, please visit ikeslimster.com and check him out on social media by following @ikeslimster on Instagram.
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"What It Feels Like" is an immersive pop-up art gallery showcasing emerging Black Artists. The show highlights the joys and sorrows of what it feels like to be an artist; to be seen; to feel unheard; or to be an Artist of color in the art world today.
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Photographer: Azikiwe Aboagye @_azikiwe_
Featured Sofa: Invention in Lime Green Velvet