The weight on my shoulder Painting

Oketa Irobo is a contemporary Nigerian artist whose passion for art was ignited by street graffiti and comics. Having earned his art degree from Lagos State Polytechnic, he has since established a career as an artist in Lagos, Nigeria. Oketa’s work is a distinctive blend of figure paintings, Cubism, surrealism and Realism. His signature style features bold-eyed subjects adorned with chess motifs on the skin and chess pieces around the ears. Through his art, he delves into the complexities of the human experience, exploring emotions, thoughts, and desires with raw intensity. His canvases serve as visual reflections of society, inviting viewers to contemplate the interplay between the individual and the collective. Inspired by the strategic nature of chess, Oketa draws parallels between the game and life itself showing the obvious similarities. His works encourages viewers to consider their own life as a series of strategic moves, and the choices we take plays vital roles in shaping who we are and who we become. In his own words, "My art is a visual dialogue about the human condition; It's about the choices we make, the history we make from the choices and the unerasable mark these choices leaves on us and the world."