With over two decades of studio practice, mastery of his craft and mentoring future artist, Chika Idu has truly paid his dues in the Nigerian visual art landscape.
The Delta State-born contemporary Nigerian artist is among the experimental artists, whose adventures with colours has seen the creation of some incredible pieces of art.
Idu, a gifted hand and multi-media artist, is one painter whose works are sought-after by collectors, galleries and even corporates across Nigeria and the world.
Idu, an experimental artist par excellence, has a very strong figurative and personal style, which is easily recognizable, which also traces his trajectory and stylistic development.
His technique is uniquely Idu as his works bear witness of the.
The technique, which has not been replicated, involves the exhaustive priming of his canvas, while commonplace in his studio are works characterised by heavy texture and hazy rendition technique, which he calls ‘light against visual distortion’.
Yet, Idu uses his art for advocay of sort. A lover of tranquil environment, children and nature, his broad oeuvre embraces themes such as social justice for women and children, safe environment, peace with nature, among others.
‘When you see a work by Chika Idu, you will easily know because it bears his unique signature,’ a follower confessed at an exhibition last year.
With all the above going for the Auchi Polytechnic-trained pianter, Idu is truly worth following. The sheer creative ingenuity he puts in all works is even lure for his followers.
The above is also top among the reasons to see Idu’s latest exhibition, which is ongoing in Lagos.
Titled ‘Pure Water’, the solo exhibition of paintings and powerful portraits, which is being presented by SMO Contemporary Art, opened to the public on September 5, 2026 and runs till November 30, 2026 at ARAMI, 6th and 7th Floor, MHQ Building, 5 Providence Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
On display are some enthralling works from Idu’s creative juices. The exhibition explores ecology, history, migration, innocence and liberty through the faces of African women and children juxta-posed against submerged figures swimming in a pristine underwater world.
The works draw the viewer into an immersive natural world in which swimmers float and move with an apparent sense of intention, evoking a space of wonder and possibility.
The figures drift within a pristine ecosystem removed from the restrictions of the world above.
‘Pure Water’ introduces a critical and ironic reference to Idu’s aspiration for a balanced world, while the term also refers to the plastic ‘pure water’ drinking sachets, used to quench the thirst of millions of Nigerians within heavily populated and polluted city centers. These water sachets clog up the drains and waterways, becoming an environmental hazard, which affects people’s quality of life. In ‘Pure Water’, Idu’s figures and portraits draw attention to the environmental realities faced by urban and coastal communities, and advocates for ‘pure waters’.
His figures swim towards freedom despite all odds. Through the fluidity of their light speckled under-water reverie, Idu creates scenes of youthful innocence, where children have capacity for freedom and adventure, despite life’s uncertain currents and societal pressures.
Again, Idu wears his experimental cap, delving into multimedia at the exhibition with ‘From Shore to Studio’, a short film, showing the artist exploring and documenting coastal life, and working in his studio to create his masterpieces.
But taking a closer look at the works, Idu’s oil and acrylic paintings on canvas and delicate water colors on paper are a choreography of life. His portraits of children and women have a gaze, which defies all odds. Beneath the surface, where currents are built from layered palette-knife strokes, the water has a presence and energy of its own.
In the works, his unique style of impasto painting catches and refracts light in motion.
Idu’s characters, whether on land or in the sea, move with confidence and a sense of adventure.
In the works, Idu also considers the monuments and memorials he encountered on the island of Martinique when he visited the Caribbean, and commemorates those who were forcibly carried across the Atlantic Ocean.
His work references the violence of colonial histories and current global migration issues, and asks what liberty might look like and whether that freedom can be recovered.
Frank A.O Ugiomoh, a professor, and an independent scholar, expressed confidence in Idu and his solo outing observing the different histories, which are active at the same time in Idu’s water metaphor.
‘The bodies of those lost in the slave trade, today’s migrants, and Idu’s women and children are not the same, but each has a place in an ongoing story of movement, displacement, vulnerability, and the search for freedom,’ Ugiomoh, who recently retired from the University of Port Harcourt, said.
Speaking further, the retired professor noted that in the works, memory is not just looking back, but shapes how viewers see the present and imagine the future. ‘Idu’s figures and environments point towards a broader relationship between people and the natural world. Water and beauty coexist with an awareness of the environmental pressures faced within particularly coastal areas’.
On her part, Diana Nwandu, director, Arami, host of the exhibition, said, ‘From the rooftops of Arami, we have clear views of both the Atlantic Ocean as well as the Lagoon and waterways curving their way through the city of Lagos’.
‘We are delighted to showcase Chika Idu’s spectacular works within our restaurant. They celebrate nature and align with our values and aspirations for a safe and healthy environment.’
‘SMO has its roots in both art and film so this exhibition allows the viewer to be immersed in the natural world and also see the artist’s creative process,’ commented Sandra Mbanefo Obiago, founder and artistic director, SMO Contemporary Art.
‘It is important that art brings hope and inspiration to our lives, while also reminding us of the plight of humanity, and the need to advocate for the environment.’
The exhibition is still open until November 30, 2026 and ARAMI, the host, and SMO Contemporary Art, the curator, urge the public to vist the new fine dining restaurant at 6th and 7th Floor, MHQ Building, 5 Providence Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, to see and appreciate Idu in his creative beauty, while also enjoying the marriage if fine dining and fine art at the same time.
For Idu, whose works were on display at the inaugural exhibition of ARAMI tagged ‘Celebration’, which was also presented by SMO Contemporary Art, ‘Pure Water’ is a must-see exhibition as the works are products of his inner self, his passion and his creative ingenuity developed and mastered over the years.