Turning Waste into Wonder:

The Transformative Art of Chike Felix Uzoka

April – May 2025

Artcore

Derby

Chike Felix Uzoka is a Nigerian-born visual artist whose practice spans sculpture, painting, and mixed media to transform discarded materials into vessels of meaning, memory, and beauty. Currently based in Derby, UK, Uzoka brings a deeply personal and culturally grounded perspective to contemporary art, one that speaks to global concerns of sustainability, identity, and community.

A graduate of Fine and Applied Arts from the Institute of Management and Technology in Enugu State, Nigeria, Uzoka’s formal training is evident in the precision and craftsmanship of his work. Yet what distinguishes his practice is not just technique, but the inventiveness with which he reimagines everyday materials. Most striking is his use of papier-mâché—a medium he elevates through an intuitive process of layering wire, fabric, and paper to mimic the weight and sheen of bronze and metal. What began as a playful experiment inspired by his daughter’s school project has grown into a sculptural style that blurs boundaries between fragility and strength, waste and wonder.

Uzoka’s recent participation in Untold Stories, a community-focused exhibition at Artcore Gallery in Derby, underscores his commitment to artistic dialogue and social engagement. The exhibition, which explored the narratives of migrant communities, offered a platform for Uzoka to explore themes of belonging, cultural exchange, and resilience. These themes recur throughout his body of work, both formally and conceptually.

In “Dependable – Lioness”, Uzoka, captures the fearless leadership and quiet strength of maternal figures through a dynamic papier-mâché sculpture. Other works, like “Jagged Drum” and “Rhythm”, draw on music’s emotive power, translating sonic energy into tactile surfaces and abstracted forms.

His paintings, including “Infliction – Dominance” and “Walking Together”, probe deeper psychological and political terrains, addressing power, solidarity, and the human condition with layered visual narratives.

Central to Uzoka’s artistic voice is a deep connection to his Igbo heritage. His work “Mmanwu – Masquerade” invokes the ancestral traditions of masquerade ceremonies, paying homage to the symbolic rituals of his homeland while reinterpreting them for a contemporary audience. This act of cultural translation is not nostalgic—it is generative. Through it, Uzoka bridges time, geography, and identity, creating work that is at once rooted and forward-looking.

What also sets Uzoka apart is his sense of purpose beyond the studio. He is an artist deeply invested in the community—passionate about teaching, sharing skills, and learning in return. He sees these exchanges as vital to both creative development and cultural cohesion, and his involvement in Derby’s local arts scene is as meaningful as his gallery work.

At a time when the art world is increasingly attuned to ecological and social imperatives, Uzoka’s practice offers a compelling model. His commitment to material sustainability, cultural specificity, and hands-on experimentation aligns with a global shift toward more responsible, engaged, and inclusive forms of making.

As Uzoka’s work continues to gain recognition, it carries with it a sense of integrity and vision that feels increasingly rare: a belief that art can be both deeply personal and powerfully communal. In turning waste into wonder, he reminds us that beauty is not found in the material itself, but in the stories we choose to tell through it.