For Otobong Nkanga, human life is inextricably connected to the natural world—the water we drink, the air we breathe, the land we live on. For more than 20 years, the Nigerian-Belgian artist has pondered questions about resource extraction and replenishment through her multidisciplinary practice. How do we put back in what we take out? How do we replenish areas where humans have extracted resources? She boundlessly intersects drawing, installation, performance, photography, textiles, and sculpture, constellating the complexities of human interaction with the surrounding world. Guided by extensive research, Nkanga develops conceptual works that engage in forgotten histories and African philosophies, revealing a cosmic connection to our ancestors and our land.
Her ongoing project “Carved to Flow” (2017-), and her foundation of the same name, began with a presentation at documenta 14, exhibited in Athens, Greece, and Kassel, Germany. For the project, Nkanga developed soaps from raw vegetable fats, herbs, and essential oils sourced in Athens. Nearly 15,000 bars were sold to fund a project space in Athens for emerging artists and to open a research and resource exchange space in her father’s hometown in Akwa Ibom in Nigeria. Last fall, Nkanga won the $100,000 Nasher Prize for her contributions to the field of sculpture. Her Nasher Prize exhibition is scheduled to open in 2025 at the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Texas—her first show in the United States since 2018.
Folasade Ologundudu: You won the Nasher Prize in 2023. How are you feeling about your win?
Otobong Nkanga: I’m extremely happy. I read that I’m the first African to receive the prize, and I’m
very honored to be on this list of artists that I admire, from Senga Nengudi to Theaster Gates to Doris Salcedo. You look at these artists you admire, and you’re amazed to be among them. . .
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