Uzomah Ugwu

Uzomah Ugwu, a poet/writer, curator, editor, and multi-disciplined artist, brings a unique perspective to her work. Her poetry, writing, and art have gained international recognition and are featured in various publications, galleries, art spaces, and museums. As a political, social, and cultural activist, she focuses on human rights, mental health, animal rights, and the rights of LGBTQIA persons. Uzomah is the managing editor and founder of Arte Realizzata, and she sees herself and her creative process as a powerful force for change, a social disrupter.

Artist’s Statement

Uzomah’s motivation to make art, whether visual or with words or both, is to form an authentic expression for her and those who identify with the same things that others see as limitations, like being a person with disabilities. Her journey is told in different colors, with photographic images, brushes, sculptures, installations, and the use of words. She finds the descriptions of the world around her vividly. Through the photographic lenses, she can display the challenges and embraces of being in a society that does not yet understand her nature or others like her. She holds her own strings but is tied to a society that tangles her. With art, she is free and open and no longer self-involved. Her efforts are motions completed to something and for something bigger. Her motivation time and time again is to say something visually that allows others to speak or just utter their own truths, not just her own.

Uzomah can address society and what it thinks of her and be who she is with any color she chooses, not what is expected of her through the creative process. Through art, her illnesses are not a hindrance but a welcoming asset and a way for others to understand what she goes through. Also, there is a divine beauty with it all rather than it being a great tragedy. With one stroke or installation idea, she is not someone else’s tragedy or her illness(s); she is a part of her masterpiece that others can enjoy and understand. She also explores social and cultural issues, such as human rights, LGBTQIA rights, animal rights, and political issues, through her color choice, sculptures, installations, and photos. As an activist, she uses the literary and visual arts to tell stories vividly to inspire, create change, and give volume to issues of otherwise muted communities.

Uzomah’s art is a beacon of hope, a testament to her belief that light can be found even in the darkest of times. Her art and writing address the darkness of society and illuminate the rays of light that can guide us through. She demonstrates an unwavering ability to navigate life’s challenges and find hope amidst the debris of society, whether through a lens, a brushstroke, a stanza, or poetic prose.

Uzomah’s artwork resonates with a universal promise, a beacon of certainty in a world of uncertainty. Whether grappling with mental or physical illness or simply facing life’s crossroads, her art speaks to the shared human experience. It is a testament to the resilience and adaptability that we all possess, a reminder that we can always begin again, no matter the circumstances. Her work is a source of hope, a testament to her belief that even in the darkest of times, light can be found.