About

Ima was born in Ukehe Nigeria, West Africa. At a young age he knew that he wanted to be a painter because, as a child he was always  had so much excitement drawing on the sand to papers with pencils.

Those excitments gotten from constant drawings  and in combination with his parents backing were what he need to be motivated. He didn’t look back and  decided to proceed.

ima amu

Also importantly, after his secondary school education at premier secondary school Ukehe, he went to the University of Benin, Benin-city Nigeria,where he majored in painting and art history. Besides, he was one of the best in his class.

Then after his graduation in 1995, he worked until 1999 as a curator / manager at the famous  Didi Museum in  victoria Island Lagos, Nigeria. During that period, he brought to fore a lot of dynamism in art management by not only creating a beautiful fora for art exhibitions. He opened the doors of the museum wide enough to welcoming so many artists both local and foreign to hold exhibitions there. As well, he worked endelessly to make many artists that came in contact with him to feel at home and have a better reason to embrace the art and studio practice.

Worthy to mention here is that he did not only brought excitement to the mainly lagos art market and management but he convienced most of the corporate offices on the need to use art works on their walls. To him, art didn’t stop at aesthetics but could be medicinal.

Further, he did so much using his paintings to decorate most of bank offices and banking halls.Amidst that, he has had so many painting exhibitions of solo’s and groups to his credit. Above all, he won many awards as a curator and an artist.

His paintings tell more about the daily socio-political cum economic lifes of the  people particularly in Nigeria and generally in Africa. Also, behind every painting is a story-line. It is a reflection of life in Africa and diaspora. With his bright pallet with the varriations of technique, he tries to show what is going on in that continent.

Most often than not, he uses women forms and moods as the symbols to express and convey this unbalanced situation to all because generally women in Africa carry the heaviest socio-economic burden that is as old as the cultures in Africa.

Ima continues to tell his story and hoping this subject matter could be addressed as soon as possible. He dreams of a life of equality in every shades. Therefore, life is like a pallet of different colour hues…..of bright, dull and low.