Osinachi is a self-taught digital artist based in Lagos, Nigeria. Born in 1991, he grew up in Aba, a city in southern Nigeria where he took interest first in writing, and shortly after visual art. He makes his work on Microsoft Word, and has been doing so for over 15 years now.
Africa’s foremost crypto-artist, selling his works through non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the blockchain, Osinachi has worked with international galleries such as Kate Vass Galerie, Galerie Nagel Draxler, and Elsewhere, among others, and has collaborated with various collectives in the NFT space such as PROOF, UltraDAO, and Streetlab, among others. He has exhibited at 1:54 African Art Fair, ArtX Lagos, Art Basel in Basel, Art Basel Miami Beach, Modal at the School of Digital Art (SODA) Manchester Metropolitan University, and more. His work can be seen in the collections of The Toledo Museum of Art, Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Museum of Crypto Art (MoCA), Artnome, WhaleShark, Batsoupyum, and Tokenangels, among many others. He was recently a part of the Museum of Modern Art’s (MoMA) Postcard project, alongside 14 other artists.
Osinachi’s art does not only reflect his own identity and experiences, it is also a statement on existence as a protest against the stereotypes and prejudices that often plague the African continent and diaspora. Working digitally, he explores themes of cultural, sexual and racial identity, representing these through personal experiences and social commentary. His work challenges the conventional notions of art and technology, inviting viewers to question their own assumptions and perspectives.
For his role as an artist who continues to make a positive impact and inspire others to embrace their own creativity and potentials, he was named as one of the 100 Most Influential Africans for 2022 by New African Magazine. He has also spoken at international events such as Forbes Under30, NFT in Europe, Africa Investment Forum and Milken Institute Global Conference, often advocating the collecting of blockchain-based art and the intellectual engagement of digital art. He recently concluded a groundbreaking digital artist-in-residence program at the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio, where he continues his mission of bridging the traditional art and blockchain based-art spaces.
Osinachi is one of the core instigators of AfrofutureDAO, a platform for African museums to monetize, document, and build community with their archives through Web3. In 2022, he curated “Africa Here”, an accelerator program that onboarded more than 70 African-born artists on the NFT marketplace, MakersPlace.
Notable Events involving Osinachi (Exhibitions included)
2021 – Exhibition at Somerset House, London in collaboration with 1-54 Art Fair; followed by an online auction of works by Christie’s Europe; curated by Daria Borisova
2021 – “Breadcrumbs” exhibition at Art Basel, Switzerland in collaboration with Galerie Nagel Draxler, Germany; curated by Kenny Schachter
2021 – Co-curated RELOADING, the first NFT exhibition at ArtXLagos
2021 – “CryptOGs: The Pioneers of NFT Art” online auction by Bonhams in partnership with SuperRare
2022 – Named one of 100 influential creators and community leaders in the NFT space by NFTnow
2022 – Gave a talk at 2022 NFTin Europe in Paris
2022 – Collaborated with the David Bowie estate to launch the “Bowie on the Blockchain” project on OpenSea
2022 – Curated “Africa Here” accelerator program for African-born digital artists in collaboration with MakersPlace
2022 – Exhibition at SCOPE Art at Art Week Miami
2022 – Part of a panel on crypto and NFTs at Forbes Under30 in Botswana
2022 – Part of a panel on Africa’s creative sector and mainstream investing at the Africa Investment Forum in Abidjan
2022 – “Block Party” exhibition at Art Dubai; curated by Daria Borisova
2022 – “Peer to Peer” exhibition on Feral File; curated by Dr Tina Ryan
2022 – Acquisition of work by Buffalo AKG Art Museum, New York
2022 – Named one of 100 most influential Africans of 2022 by New African Magazine
2023 – Lecture on collaboration and career building in the NFT space as part of a talk series organized by the Kingston University School of Art
2023 – Part of a panel at the Milken Institute Global Conference 2023 in Los Angeles, USA
2023 – Digital art residency at The Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio, USA between April and December, 2023
2023 – “Gateway Miami” Exhibition at the Faena Forum during Art Basel Miami
2023 – Part of Christie’s “Miami Edit” Auction