Emeka Okereke

Hello, I’m Emeka Okereke, a transdisciplinary artist, scholar, and cultural producer, working primarily with photography, film, sound, and writing. I'm also a podcast producer and host, a YouTuber, and a DJ. Additionally, I teach in art schools. Each project is a pathway through which I express my creativity and collaborate with other artists and creatives. Creative Freedom is a valuable and non-negotiable incentive for me.I was born in Nigeria and discovered art through photography in 2002. By the next year, I had my first international exhibition, which saw me leaving Nigeria for the first time, and I won an award at that festival. This became the beginning and spur of my career. Today, my artistic practice has expanded beyond photography to include various mediums.My journey into the world of art began 22 years ago, at the age of 22. This pivotal moment was the best thing that ever happened to me. Since then, art has taken me around the world, leading to exceptional encounters, a deeper understanding of self, and continuous engagement with diverse people globally through my artistic activities.My practice is multifaceted and hyphenated, but deep down, I consider myself an image-maker, exploring the fluttering space between appearance and revelation. Thus, my field of engagement closely aligns with visual arts, social sciences, media &amp; cultural studies.That said, it is more realistic to think of my work as "thought experiments" rather than anything set in stone. It's an attempt to find "new vocabularies for my silences". For instance, to me, a photograph is a window, not a static view. I hope to inspire dynamic thinking, not paint a static picture of anything.I am deeply interested in the poetry of human dynamics. We live in an era of "a volatile negotiation between the past and the present," where many currents of the past collide in the present as we chart a new path for the future together. Each of us has a role in this future. As the world becomes smaller and we effervescently move into each other's realities, we must re-evaluate and critique our notion of "encounter." How can we better understand and embody the "wealth of difference"?As such, the themes of my work revolve around borders and the various sociopolitical mechanisms that contribute to human movement, displacement, and identity from the viewpoint of a 21st-century African. Consequently, I am focused on developing a pedagogical curriculum called "Ethics &amp; Aesthetics of Difference."The Trans-AfricanI am Trans-African. As I move through the world, I am reminded that Africa is, and has always been, a story of journeys. I follow the path that my journey as a Black person, as an African, uncurls before me without (self) discrimination. While I am open to what the road offers, the location of my thinking and being in the world often draws from the worldview and cosmology of the Igbo people of Eastern Nigeria into which I was born. My art is partly a way of embodying or decoding the idioms and wisdom encrypted into the Igbo language. I find that Igbo, my maternal language, has prepared me for all the journeys I am to make in my lifetime. It is like a compass and a treasure trove.I am a cultural producer and view art as a raw material to be creatively deployed in collaborative contexts. In 2009, I founded the Invisible Borders Trans-African Project, and in 2020, The Nkata Podcast Station. Through these platforms, I collaborate with other artists, thinkers, and scholars.Finally, I see my artistic preoccupation in the context of human evolution. If our lives are a conversation in a continuum, then the generations coming after are active participants in shaping the present. We ought to "pass on the baton" as they say. Lately, my work and teaching engagements have pivoted towards youths and children. In Africa, this demography is the largest in population.Sojourners: The Community of Supporters &amp; CollaboratorsTo me, creativity is the essence of our humanity. Each of us expresses ourselves in unique ways, making creativity not just the domain of those who consider themselves artists, but an essential human trait that allows meaningful and imaginative communication. It allows us to project ourselves into the world and to fight for a just cause. Life without creativity is life without poetry.I am fortunate that creativity is intrinsic not only to my profession but to my life. However, balancing creative freedom with the demands of funding institutions has been one of the biggest challenges over the past two decades. I firmly believe that to allow art and creativity to thrive, an artist must protect and preserve their creative freedom. This belief has only strengthened with time.Therefore, I have decided to establish a platform to nurture a community of active supporters and collaborators to join me on this creative journey. This platform will allow me to create and share my artistic explorations with those who resonate with a similar perception of the world. Members of this community will be part of the creative process through active interactions and engagement virtually and in real life.On this platform, I will share exclusive content from all my projects, including photography, film, writing, podcasts, and music. You will have access to behind-the-scenes content, early access, and previews of new works. Your subscription will support the work I produce and share, making you an integral part of this creative community of sojourners.Who are Sojourners?Sojourners perceive life as a story of journeys on open roads. Every encounter and every interaction is integral to the story. We are not limited to time, nor are we constrained by space. We are intricately interconnected through intentions. Our gestures, actions and expressions form the weavings that make up the tapestry of a shared world. We walk a familiar world guided by the promise of a new humanity, ever hopeful and always creative. Because there is no endpoint in the journey – only milestones – for sojourners, every moment is immeasurable.Welcome to the community. I look forward to our encounters and to sharing this creative journey with you.To see the extent of my projects and platforms that I run as components of my artistic engagement, see my official website: <a href="https://www.emekaokereke.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.emekaokereke.com</a>

Free

If you would simply want to support or buy me a coffee

Benevolent Supporter

Benefits:<ul><li>Access to a patron-only feed with updates, behind-the-scenes content, and sneak peeks of upcoming projects.</li><li>Early access to new photography series, film trailers and snippets, podcast episodes, and DJ sets.</li><li>Digital downloads of select photograph(s) from Emeka Okereke's visual diary each month.</li><li>Participation in monthly Q&amp;A sessions where Emeka discusses his work and creative process and gives feedback on creative works/ideas of community members shared with him.</li><li>Access to exclusive blog posts and writings.</li><li>Access to exclusive posts on photographic projects</li></ul>

Curious Mind

Benefits:<ul><li>All benefits from the "Curious Mind" tier.</li><li>Access to exclusive Patreon-only content such as mini-documentaries, in-depth project breakdowns, and unreleased DJ sets.</li><li>Short podcast episodes exploring new thoughts and ideas by Emeka</li><li>Your name is listed in the credits of film projects, podcasts, and on Emeka's website.</li><li>Bi-monthly (every two months) downloadable posters featuring Emeka's visual work.</li><li>Access to curated playlists and DJ sets.</li><li>Participation in bi-monthly (every two months) creative brainstorming sessions, hanging out and discussing ideologies and contributing ideas and themes for future projects.</li><li>Opportunity to be invited to collaborate with Emeka Okereke in one of his projects (subject to relevance to the concept of the project).</li></ul>

Creative Collaborator 

Benefits:<ul><li>All benefits from the "Creative Collaborator" tier.</li><li>Monthly shout-out in podcast episodes and video projects.</li><li>Access to a private Discord community for deeper engagement and networking with other patrons and Emeka.</li><li>20% discount on all physical merchandise, signed photographic art prints, downloadable films and event tickets.</li><li>Behind-the-scenes video content showing the creation process of Emeka's projects.</li><li>Quarterly virtual workshops on photography, film, and podcast production from Emeka's Berlin Studio.</li><li>Priority invites to real-life meet-ups, exhibitions, and lectures where possible.</li></ul>

Creative Voyager

Benefits:<ul><li>All benefits from the "Creative Voyager" tier.</li><li>Quarterly one-on-one virtual or real-life (where possible) coffee chat to discuss Emeka's work, get feedback, and share ideas or just hang out and engage in "thought experiments".</li><li>Exclusive access to participate in the creative process, including voting on themes for new projects and suggesting/contributing ideas for upcoming podcasts or DJ sets.</li><li>Special "Creative Visionary" badge on Discord and a dedicated acknowledgement section on Emeka's website and in project credits.</li><li>Priority access at live events, exhibitions, and screenings.</li><li>A limited edition print or piece of artwork annually, signed and personalised by Emeka.</li><li>Access to an annual virtual masterclass covering advanced topics in photography, film, Podcasting, DJing and transdisciplinary art.</li><li>Exclusive invitation to a yearly Sojourners' retreat, a special event for in-depth engagement, collaboration, and community building.</li></ul>

Emeka Okereke

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