Sotonye Jumbo

Sotonye Jumbo was born in Rivers State, Nigeria in 1989. He obtained a B.A. in Visual Arts in 2015 from Cross River University of Technology and received additional professional training at Universal Studios of Arts, Lagos. 

Since 2012, Sotonye has participated in several group exhibitions including Next of Kin and Telling African Stories in Lagos. He is Studio Assistant at the Bruce Onobrakpeya Art Foundation. 

Artist Statement

My practice integrates four evolving bodies of work. My plein air paintings, Breakout Series, Radiohead Series and Freedom Series represent distinct areas of focus as well as essential quadrants of my artistic journey.  

With roots in naturalism, I’ve become increasingly curious about exploring an expanded identity through my work, based on imagined imagery rather than physical references. My current works reflect this through expanded materials including pastel, ink, chalk, oil and acrylic as well as subject matter that explores traditional and contemporary themes through the lens of my surrealist subjectivity.

I hope to engage with the viewers of my work by encouraging active pareidolia that produces a personal experience and an overarching connection to the vibrations and sources of my subjects.