Michelle Okpare born 1996, Nigeria raised between Nigeria and Ivory Coast. Michelle Okpare is a Nigerian contemporary artist whose work is deeply rooted in personal experience, emotional expression, and the exploration of identity within African society. Growing up between Nigeria and Ivory Coast, she developed a multicultural perspective that continues to inform both the themes and materials of her practice. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from Obafemi Awolowo University (Nigeria), where she refined her artistic language and began to shape her distinctive approach. Her work draws inspiration from human interactions and the psychological responses to life events, resulting in a body of work that serves as a visual documentation of life, complexity, and emotion. Okpare’s practice engages with themes such as culture, mental health, personal and collective identity, and gender issues in contemporary African society. Through her work, she investigates how individuals—particularly women—navigate societal expectations, internal struggles, and evolving cultural norms.

As an expressionist artist, she works predominantly with materials connected to her childhood in Ivory Coast, creating richly textured and vibrant compositions. Her visual language blends imagination and reality, aiming to construct powerful and coherent imagery that reflects the lived experiences of contemporary African women. A defining aspect of her work is her use of crepe paper, acrylic paint, and recycled or discarded lace fabrics applied through appliqué techniques. She carefully folds crepe paper into floral and petal-like forms, inspired by her early experimentation with these materials during her upbringing in Ivory Coast. These tactile surfaces not only add depth but also reinforce the emotional and symbolic layers of her work. Through these materials and forms, Okpare challenges unrealistic beauty standards imposed on women, while also addressing themes of self-perception, vulnerability, and resilience. Her artistic process is closely tied to her personal journey, and she often describes her practice as a form of therapy—a way to process struggles, emotions, and lived experiences.

Okpare has participated in numerous international exhibitions, including “L’Africa & Napoli” at Maschio Angioino (Italy, 2023), “Reversed Safari” at The Manege Central Exhibition Hall (St. Petersburg, 2023), Real Life Is Fragile (USA, 2021), Unusual Suspects (Nigeria, 2021), and The Human Experience (South Africa, 2020). Her work has been featured in prominent media outlets such as Sunday Times South Africa, Vanity Fair Italia, Shoutout Los Angeles, Times Live South Africa, and Airmail News USA, and has also been included on Google Arts & Culture, further expanding her international visibility. She has received recognition through awards such as the Online Art Project Turkey and the University of Florida Art in Medicine Project (Nigeria), highlighting the impact and relevance of her work within both artistic and social contexts. Today, Michelle Okpare lives and works in Lagos, Nigeria, where she continues to develop a dynamic and socially engaged artistic practice.