Emeka Nwagbara was born July 9, 1969, in Abia State, Nigeria. 

Though a graduate of accounting, which has taken him on a career journey through the Oil and Gas industry, banking, and the Information Technology industry, he never stopped drawing and painting in his private time. Nwagbara is a graduate of Government College Umuahia, University of Port Harcourt, and Ogun State University.

Nwagbara’s professional artistic career begin 2005 when he left his position as a Business Development Manager to pursue the long-time aspiration to become an artist. Mainly self-taught, Nwagbara’s art was given a boost during his atelier practice under the guidance of Edosa Ogiugo and Abiodun Olaku at the Universal Studios of Art, where he still practices as a professional artist .

Nwagbara has engaged in high profile art projects and commissions including portrait commissions of state governors, art projects with state governments, and has a list of corporate clientele including: Ondo State Government, Lagos State Government / Lagos State Canival, Osun State Government, UNICEF, Nestle Foods, and Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

Nwagbara states: “I have never been a proponent of being consumed in a particular style. I love good art works and desire to continually produce same, but most especially, the human figure fascinates me a great deal. Body movement, facial expression and most especially the essence of our being.”

Selected Exhibitions:

• 2015 Lagos Art Auction 2015, TKMG TerraKulture / Mydrim Gallery on Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria

• 2015 Art Exhibition / Auction at International Conference on Disability, Civic Centre Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria

• 2015 Ebola Art Exhibition, United Nations, New York, USA organised by Kamba Art Gallery, London, UK

• 2015 Oreze III (The King’s Crowd), an exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture in honour of His Royal Majesty, Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe, CFR, Mni, Obi of Onitsha, Inland Town, Onitsha, Nigeria

• 2015 15th Annual Pastel Exhibition, Mydrim Gallery, S/W, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria

2014 Cupid, Alexis Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria

• 2014 Nuggets, Mydrim Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria

• 2014 Ero Repete Lojude Oba (Crowd at the King’s Frontage): an Exhibition of Paintings, Sculpture and Ceramic in honour of Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona (Awujale of Ijebuland), Ogun State, Nigeria

• 2014 Oreze II (The King’s Crowd): an Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture in honour of His Royal Majesty, Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe, CFR, Mni, Obi of Onitsha, held Anambra State.

• 2014 14th Annual Pastel Exhibition, Mydrim Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria