Ekow Nimako

Ekow Nimako
Ekow Nimako (right) with Chris Tucker, 2014
Born1979
Côte-des-Neiges, Canada
Websiteekownimako.com

Ekow Nimako (born 1979[1][2] in Côte-des-Neiges[3]) is a Ghanaian Canadian artist known for creating sculptures out of Lego.[4][5][6] His Lego sculptures focus mainly on African culture, history, and futurism.[4][6] Nimako uses primarily black Lego.[7]

Nimako studied art at York University in Toronto, Canada.[1][5]

In 2014 he received a Canadian grant to showcase his art during the country's Black History Month.[4][8] His work has since been exhibited internationally. Countries that have exhibited his work include Germany, South Korea, and the UK.[9][10]

One of his early favorite pieces is a statue titled Flower Girl.[9][7] The piece was designed to highlight the lost innocence of African girls taken to the West due to the slave trade.[4][8] Several of Nimako's works are part of a series, such as his "Mythos" and "Amorphia" series, which feature mythical creatures, and masks, respectively.[11] One of his most recent works is a commissioned piece titled The Great Turtle Race.[4][12]

References

  1. ^ a b Jager, David. "Piece by Piece". The York University Magazine. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  2. ^ "LEGO Art: Mask-Making with Ekow Nimako". The Power Plant. 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  3. ^ Nimako, Ekow (May 31, 2017). "With Lego, I explore identity — and build my own vision of the Canadian future". CBC.ca. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e Orie, Amarachi (2022-01-11). "Meet the Ghanaian Canadian Lego sculptor building a Black universe". CNN. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  5. ^ a b "Ekow Nimako". Urban Nation. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  6. ^ a b Ormsby, Mary Ormsby (2016-05-29). "The artist whose career is built on Lego". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  7. ^ a b Jordan, Charlie. "This LEGO Artist Builds Masterpieces Using All Black Bricks". WIRED. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  8. ^ a b Wong, Alex (2024-01-20). "Yes, that life-sized sculpture is made from thousands of pieces of black Lego. Inside the astounding art of Ekow Nimako". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  9. ^ a b Correa, Joshua (2022-02-15). "Ekow Nimako Is The LEGO Artist Your Kids Should Know About And Heres Why". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  10. ^ "LEGO Artist Ekow Nimako's Artwork to Go on Display at UW Jan. 30". UWYO News. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  11. ^ "Ekow Nimako's black Lego sculptures telling stories of African history". BBC Online. February 1, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  12. ^ "Lego artist Ekow Nimako digs into the past to imagine the future". Wyoming Public Media. 2024-02-02. Retrieved 2024-03-05.