David Uzochukwu
{{short description|Austrian-Nigerian photographer, born 10 December 1998}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = David Uzochukwu
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| pronunciation =
| birth_name = David Ejikeme Uzochukwu
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| birth_place = Innsbruck, Austria
| nationality = Austrian–Nigerian
| citizenship = Austrian–Nigerian
| education = Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
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| known_for = Photography
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| awards = EyeEm, Flickr's 20 Under 20
| website = {{url|www.daviduzochukwu.com/| Official website}}
}}
David Ejikeme Uzochukwu is an Austrian–Nigerian art photographer with a focus on portrait photography who lives and works in Brussels and Berlin.
Early life and education
Born David Ejikeme Uzochukwu in Innsbruck, Austria, to an Austrian mother and a Nigerian father. He was raised in Innsbruck, before moving to Luxembourg and Brussels. He has since lived in Vienna and Berlin where he studies towards a Bachelor of Fine Arts in philosophy at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
Career
Uzochukwu began taking pictures at an early age. Already competent using his mother's point-and-shoot camera at age 10,{{Cite web|title=15-Year-Old Photographer's Surreal Portraits Express Powerful Emotions|url=https://mymodernmet.com/david-uzochukwu-photos/|last=Zhang|first=Jenny|date=22 September 2014|website=My Modern Met|access-date=25 May 2020}} he started sharing his photographs more widely at the age of 13.{{Cite web|title=Iconoclast and Monom Present: An Immersive Soundscape Experience With David Uzochukwu|url=https://www.monomsound.com/events/daviduzochukwu|date=13 October 2019|website=Monom Sound|access-date=24 May 2020}} At 16, Uzochukwu went professional and signed with Iconoclast Image and Gallery 8.{{Cite interview|title=Going Pro at 16. An Interview with David Uzochukwu|url=https://www.eyeem.com/blog/going-pro-at-16-an-interview-with-david-uzochukwu|last1=Severin|last2=Uzochukwu|first2=David|website=Eyeem|access-date=24 May 2020}} At 17, FKA Twigs handpicked Uzochukwu to shoot a significant campaign for Nike in Mexico.{{Cite web|title=Meet David Uzochukwu, the photographer behind FKA twigs' Dream Warrior issue|url=https://crackmagazine.net/article/long-reads/meet-david-uzochukwu-photographer-behind-fka-twigs-dream-warrior-issue/|last=Yeung|first=Vivian|website=Crack Magazine|access-date=24 May 2020}}
Uzochukwu has created campaigns for clients like Adobe Photoshop, The Paris Opera (Opéra National de Paris),{{Cite web|title=Meet David Uzochukwu, The Austro-Nigerian Photographer Who Is Doing Great Things!|url=https://www.zikoko.com/life/gist/david-uzochukwu-the-16-year-old/|last=Chioma|date=26 February 2016|website=Zikoko|access-date=24 May 2020}} Dior,{{Cite web|title=Dior 'Collection' Dir David Uzochukwu Prod Iconoclast|url=https://vimeo.com/239918740|last=Colomer|first=Arnau Valls|date=2018|website=Vimeo|access-date=24 May 2020}} Nike,{{Cite web|title=FKA twigs teams up with 17 year old photographer David Uzochukwu for new Nike campaign|url=https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/fka-twigs-nike-david-uzochukwu-campaign-110117|last=Pritchard|first=Owen|date=11 January 2017|website=It's Nice That|access-date=24 May 2020}} Iris van Herpen,{{Cite web|title=News {{!}} 'Sensory Seas' Intimately Lensed by the Magnificent David Uzochukwu|url=https://www.irisvanherpen.com/news/-29|date=2020|website=Iris van Herpen|access-date=24 May 2020}} and World Wildlife Fund,{{Cite web|title=Ohne Mutter Natur gibt es keine Zukunft für Menschenkinder|url=https://www.horizont.net/schweiz/nachrichten/Wirz-fuer-WWF-Ohne-Mutter-Natur-gibt-es-keine-Zukunft-fuer-Menschenkinder-160997|last=Schmidt|first=Eva-Maria|date=11 September 2017|website=Horizont|access-date=24 May 2020}} and worked with artists such as FKA Twigs, Ibeyi, Benjamin Clementine, Labrinth, Little Dragon, and Pharrell Williams.{{Cite web|title=Werken voor Wes Anderson en Pharrell Williams doe je zo|url=https://www.demorgen.be/tv-cultuur/werken-voor-wes-anderson-en-pharrell-williams-doe-je-zo~bf3dd7e7/|last=Van Lancker|first=Eline|date=14 November 2019|website=De Morgen|language=nl|access-date=24 May 2020}}{{Cite web|title=David Uzochukwu: De rijzende ster aan het fotografiefirnament. De Brusselse tiener bij wie sterren in de rij staan|url=https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20170901_03048818?articlehash=2325C38C8582B0F5026B55A940597070C32F2E376B387E63BF0061611C022822321B28EF820701CD518BE8043E5B76E8585861383035F76D55D8B392C64EB2A5|last=De Vriendt|first=Mien|date=2 September 2017|website=De Standaard|access-date=24 May 2020}}
In 2016, his series A Familiar Ruin was shown at BOZAR Center for Fine Arts as part of the group show Dey Your Lane!, curated by Nigerian Azu Nwagbogu.{{Cite web|title=Meet the Artists, Dey Your Lane!, Lagos Variations|url=https://www.bozar.be/nl/activities/114513-meet-the-artists|date=15 June 2020|website=Bozar|access-date=22 May 2020|archive-date=4 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170704135131/http://www.bozar.be/nl/activities/114513-meet-the-artists|url-status=dead}}
Work
Uzochukwu started with Self-portraiture and evolved to photographing Portraits in nature. His photography combines post-production and intimate portraiture,{{Cite web|title=First Hand — From signing with an agent at 16, to shooting for Nike at 17: What David Uzochukwu has learned so far|url=https://lectureinprogress.com/journal/david-uzochukwu|last=Davies|first=Indi|date=16 August 2018|website=Lecture in Progress|access-date=22 May 2020|archive-date=9 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809170036/https://lectureinprogress.com/journal/david-uzochukwu|url-status=dead}} frequently imparting images with an aura of isolation hanging over his body in physical manifestations of smoke, clouds, water, and fire. His surreal images present, for example, blue skies that become walls, crystals that float in midair, volcanic sand that becomes a comforting shroud, or blood that turns into a mask.{{Cite web|title=Knotorys Talks to David Uzochukwu|url=https://www.knotoryus.com/articles/2017/11/30/knotoryus-talks-to-david-uzochukwu|last=Immi|date=2018|website=Knotoryus|access-date=24 May 2020}}
His work has often conveyed his observations on race and queerness. At Unseen Amsterdam, for instance, he premiered a series of photographs which used the image of humanoid water creatures, equipped with fins, tails, or sharp teeth. In 2019, Uzochukwu was quoted saying that these works express 'what it means to be dubbed 'black," to have an oppressive notion of race imposed upon, and to thrive nonetheless.'{{Cite web|title=Across The Globe: Artist Spotlight #, Unseen Amsterdam|url=https://www.artsy.net/article/unseen-amsterdam-globe-artist-spotlight-10|date=16 September 2019|access-date=24 May 2020}}{{Cite web|title=35 Queer Photographers Illustrate What "Pride" Really Means|url=https://www.wmagazine.com/gallery/queer-photographers-pride/|last=Maridelis-Morales|first=Rosado|date=25 June 2019|website=Wmagazine|access-date=24 May 2020}}
His work is inspired by artists such as American photographer Gregory Crewdson and Kenyan-American artist Wangechi Mutu, whose works construct personal universes that conflate gender, race, art history, and personal identity.{{Cite interview|title=An Interview with David Uzochukwu in Brussels, Belgium|url=http://www.arteviste.com/arteviste/2017/4/7/z7w7scz1iqa7qrid1egwbmewzy4f1i|last=Ogilvy|first=Flora Alexandra|date=20 April 2017|website=Arteviste|access-date=24 May 2020}}{{Cite web|title=Wangechi Mutu (Kenyan, born 1972)|url=http://www.artnet.com/artists/wangechi-mutu/|website=Artnet|access-date=24 May 2020}}
Recognition
In 2014, he was named EyeEm Photographer of the Year,{{cite interview|title=Going Pro at 16: An Interview with David Uzochukwu|url=https://www.eyeem.com/blog/2015/01/going-pro-at-16-an-interview-with-david-uzochukwu/|website=EyeEm|access-date=10 November 2015|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081503/https://www.eyeem.com/blog/2015/01/going-pro-at-16-an-interview-with-david-uzochukwu/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|title=O autodidata de 16 anos eleito 'Fotógrafo do Ano'|url=https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/noticias/2015/11/151028_fotografo_autodidata_mb_rb|last=Bizzotto|first=Márcia|date=3 November 2015|website=BBC|language=pt|access-date=24 May 2020}} as well as one of Flickr's inaugural 20under20.{{cite web|title=Flickr 20 Under 20|url=https://www.flickr.com/20under20|website=Flickr|access-date=6 April 2017}} In 2015, he was among the few selected for Adobe Photoshop's 25 Under 25{{cite web|title=Photoshop's 25 Under 25 Starts with a Band with 8 Global Phenoms|url=http://blogs.adobe.com/photoshop/2015/06/photoshops-25-under-25-starts-with-a-bang-with-8-global-phenoms.html|website=Photoshop Blog by Adobe|access-date=10 November 2015}} and received the Canon x Exhibitr Student Photography Award.{{Cite news|title=Las seis cuentas que seguir en tus redes sociales este octubre|url=https://elpais.com/elpais/2016/10/03/album/1475491643_396854.html|last=Fernandez|first=Elisa Sanchez|date=3 October 2016|website=El Pais|language=es|access-date=24 May 2020}} In 2019, he was selected for the CPH:LAB 2019/2020, the talent development program of CPH:DOX Copenhagen International Documentary Festival.{{Cite web|title=CPH:LAB announces this year's participants for the 2019/2020 edition|url=https://en.cphdox.dk/nyhed/cph-lab-announces-this-years-participants-for-the-2019-2020-edition|date=27 August 2019|website=CPH:DOX|access-date=24 May 2020}}{{Dead link|date=January 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
In 2021, Uzochukwu was nominated for Prix Pictet, and showed his work at the Victoria and Albert Museum among others. {{Cite web|title=Prix Pictet 2021: Fire review – a world going up in flames|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/jan/09/prix-pictet-2021-fire-review-a-world-going-up-in-flames-sally-mann-virtual-tour|last=Cumming|date=9 January 2022|website=The Guardian|access-date=19 December 2024}}
Exhibitions
- FOM Foto Maastricht, 6211-kunskwartier, Maastricht, August 2014{{cn|date=December 2024}}
- Flickr Friday: A Living Room, iGNANT, Berlin, January 2014; co-organised with Fantastic Frank{{Cite web|title=A Living Room by iGNANT, x Fantastic Frank|url=https://www.ignant.com/2014/12/16/a-living-room-by-ignant-x-fantastic-frank/|last=Kurze|first=Caroline|date=2014|website=Ignant.com|access-date=24 May 2020}}
- Flickr, 20 Under 20, curated by Vogue photo director Ivan Shaw, Milk Studios, New York, NY, October 2014{{Cite web|title=These 20 Teenagers Are The Future Of Photography|url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2014/09/74568/flickr-young-photographers|last=Tafoya|first=Angela|date=16 September 2014|website=Refinery29.com|access-date=24 May 2020}}
- The EyeEm World Tour 2015, traveled to Alte Teppichfabrik, September 2014; NUMA, Paris, November 2014; EyeEm Studio San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 14 November 2014; Roppongi Hills, Tokyo, November 2014; Art basel miami, The Lab Miami, Miami, FL, December 2014; Tokyo Institute of Photography, Tokyo, December 2014; Haus der Universität, Düsseldorf, 30 January 2015, as part of Düsseldorf Photo Weekend; Soho House Toronto, Toronto, 25 February 2015; Openhouse Gallery, New York, NY, 26 March 2015{{Cite web|title=The EyeEm World Tour|url=http://worldtour.eyeem.com/|date=2014|access-date=24 May 2020}}
- Unlocked, curated by Vassilis Zidianakis, ATOPOS Contemporary Visual Culture, Athens, February–April 2016{{Cite book|last=Zidianakis|first=Vassilis|title=Unlocked|publisher=ATOPOS Contemporary Visual Culture|year=2016|location=Athens}}
- Africa Salon – mo(ve)ments: African Digital Subjectivities, Yale School of Art, New Haven, CT, March 2016
- Whispering Stills, Never Apart, Montréal, April–July 2016{{cn|date=December 2024}}
- Dey Your Lane !, curated by Azu Nwagbogu, BOZAR Center for Contemporary Art, Brussels, June–September 2016{{Cite web|title=17 juni '16 — 04 september '16, Dey Your Lane!, Lagos Variations|url=https://www.bozar.be/nl/activities/105763-dey-your-lane|date=2016|website=Bozar.be|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=27 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127081924/https://www.bozar.be/nl/activities/105763-dey-your-lane|url-status=dead}}
- Lagos Photo Festival, Inherent Risk; Rituals and Performance, curated by Azu Nwagbogu, Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, October–November 2016{{Cite web|title=2016|url=http://www.lagosphotofestival.com/archive/2016|date=2016|website=Lagos Photo Festival|access-date=24 May 2020}}
- 27th Festival of African, Asian and Latin American Film Cinema, Where Future Beats, curated by Azu Nwagbogu and Maria Pia Bernardoni, Casello Ovest di Porta Venezia, Milano, March 2017; co-organised by Lagos Photo Festival, Lagos{{Cite web|title=Photo exhibition "Where Future Beats"|url=https://www.festivalcinemaafricano.org/en/mostra-fotografica-where-future-beats/|last=Bernardoni|first=Maria Pia|date=2017|website=Festival Cinema Africano|access-date=24 May 2020}}
- Portraits, Photo Brussels Festival 02, Hangar, Photo Art Center, Brussels, November 2017 – January 2018
- Songe du Présent, MuPHo Musée de la photographie de Saint Louis, St Louis, Sénégal, May 2018; organised on the occasion of Dak'art Biennale 2018{{Cite web|title=Ouverture du MuPho à Saint Louis, premier musée dédié à la photographie au Sénégal|url=https://www.9lives-magazine.com/32130/2018/01/24/ouverture-mupho-a-saint-louis-premier-musee-dedie-a-photographie-senegal/|last=Mercier|first=Jeanne|date=24 January 2018|website=9 Lives Magazine|language=fr|access-date=24 May 2020}}{{Cite web|title=Le musée de la photo de St Louis|url=https://senegalblackrainbow.org/2018/05/16/le-musee-de-la-photo-de-st-louis/|date=16 May 2018|website=Senegal Black Rainbow|language=fr|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=29 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929043708/https://www.senegalblackrainbow.org/2018/05/16/le-musee-de-la-photo-de-st-louis/|url-status=dead}}
- Innate: Future Blooms (Djeneba Aduayom), La Villa Rouge, Dakar, May 2018; as part of the exhibition Bridge curated by MuPHo Musée de La Photographie de St Louis, on the occasion of Dak'art Biennale 2018{{cn|date=December 2024}}
- Transparent, Kalonoma Festival, Munich, 5 May 2018{{cn|date=December 2024}}
- When Ethics meets Aesthetics, Vogue Italia initiative, Leica Gallery Milano, Milan, June 2018{{cn|date=December 2024}}
- Liquid Thunder, An Immersive Soundscape Experience With David Uzochukwu, MONOM, Berlin, 13 October 2019; (solo exhibition with sound installation by William Russell){{cn|date=December 2024}}
- PhotoVogue Festival 2018, Embracing Diversity, curated by Alessia Glaviano and Francesca Marani, BASE Milano, November 2019{{Cite web|title=Photo Vogue Festival: Milan, Italy 15–18 November 2018|url=https://shutterhub.org.uk/photo-vogue-festival-milan-italy-15-18-november-2018/|date=2018|website=Shutterhub|access-date=24 May 2020}}{{Cite web|title=Photovogue – David Uzochukwu|url=https://www.vogue.it/en/photovogue/portfolio/?id=34915&refresh_ce=|date=2018|website=Vogue|access-date=24 May 2020}}{{Cite web|title=Photo Vogue Festival 2019|url=https://vivimilano.corriere.it/mostre/photo-vogue-festival-2019/|last=Pelloso|first=Giovanni|website=Vivi Milano Corriere|access-date=24 May 2020}}{{Cite web|title=When Ethics meets Aesthetics • The exhibition. The opening at Leica Galerie in Milan|url=https://www.vogue.it/en/photography/news/2018/05/22/when-ethics-meets-aesthetics-exhibition-photovogue-2018-leica-store-milano/|last=Marani|first=Francesca|date=22 May 2018|website=Vogue|access-date=24 May 2020}}
- Unseen Amsterdam, September 2019; represented by Gallery Number 8, Brussels{{cn|date=December 2024}}
- PhotoVogue Festival 2019, A Glitch in the System, curated by Alessia Glaviano and Francesca Marani, BASE Milano, November 2018
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Library resources box|by=yes|onlinebooks=no|wikititle=David Uzochukwu}}
- {{Official website|https://www.daviduzochukwu.com/}}
- [https://www.iconoclastimage.tv/talents/david-uzochukwu/ David Uzochukwu] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214011015/https://www.iconoclastimage.tv/talents/david-uzochukwu/ |date=14 February 2021 }}, Iconoclast Image
- [https://galerienumber8.com/artists/25-david-uzochukwu/biography/ David Uzochukwu], Galerie Number 8
- [https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7kvt2o Le One Minute Portrait de David Uzochukwu], Dailymotion
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Category:21st-century Austrian photographers
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Nigerian photographers
Category:Austrian LGBTQ artists
Category:Nigerian LGBTQ artists