Somi Nwandu

About the Artist

At 25, Somi Nwandu has studied, lived, and worked in 5 cities, across 4 countries on 3 continents and has travelled to over 30 nations. Born and raised in Maryland, U.S.A. as well as Enugu, eastern Nigeria, Somi has always been fascinated with artistic matters from an early age and expressed her creativity through writing, painting, photography, drawings, fashion illustrations and digital software.         After high school, she moved to New York City to further her studies, obtaining degrees in Fashion Design from the Art Institute of New York City, Fashion Business Management and International Trade and Marketing for the Fashion Industries with a Minor in Economics from the renowned Fashion Institute of Technology and graduated in 2016. She is currently completing an MA in Global Creative and Cultural Industries (GCCI) from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London while actively pursuing her art in photography, fashion and the digital world.       Beyond academia, Somi has had the opportunity to plan, develop and showcase major initiatives for various stakeholders in the creative industries. Her experiences draw from holding positions in branding, creative project management, marketing and art direction. She has worked with globally recognized institutions in the United States of America, Europe and Nigeria, including Macy’s, Tom Ford International, Postscript.london, SMO Contemporary Art, and Ruff ’n’ Tumble.     Somi is a quintessential creative soul with a deep desire to forge cross-cultural ties specifically through the Arts. One of her greatest passions is creating. She is a burgeoning, award-winning photographer and exhibiting visual artist who works in various media and believes in the power of art to uplift, unify and inspire a people. With this, she hopes to emphasize the significance in building more cross-cultural creative ties between Africa and the rest of the world.  

Artist's Statement

The future is digital. My artwork presents a story of the future and the past: my future and my past. I express the desire to hide and be seen, simultaneously, and the hesitations to treasure true beauty and strength while exploring the sui generis nature of individuality. I am my own muse. My thoughts and truths inspire me and express the universal struggle of identity and mental soundness – a merging of inner worlds with the textures of reality. My works show my facial features interwoven with patterns that reflect my powerful heritage and African culture representing a significant slice of my being. Coming from a multicultural background, I have always loved and embraced my heritage. A passion that not only lies in my cultures, but in the experiencing of other cultures around the world- the textures of their reality, the tones in their tongue, the shades of their streets, the taste of their foods, colors of their wind, and the rhythm of their soul. Mirroring my blend of cultures, I merge different sceneries to appear as one. In each visual piece lies a MITH: Memory, Identity, Texture and History