Angela Amami Isiuwe (b. 1958, Abraka, Nigeria) creates work with predominantly female subjects. She reframes the experiences of women as central to society and draws attention to their successes and pains. In doing so, she presents women as natural beings, affording them equal dignity and complexity as with men, which is all the more significant in a highly patriarchal Nigerian society.

Isiuwe plays with the ability to convey messages in minimalistic tones and examines how intentionality fosters self and social identity. Working with oil, acrylic and watercolour, she depicts swiftly rendered freehand linear figures that evoke emotions and embrace the power of solitude. Here, solitude represents freedom and introspection.

Isiuwe’s practice interprets the meditative act of metabolizing pain and releasing turbulent emotions. The linear form of her work is a study of the body structure — its movement and language. Viewers are invited to engage with the emotion expressed and insert personal interpretations. Her works have been featured in exhibitions across Nigeria and internationally.