Osinachi (digital artist)

Osinachi was born in Aba, Nigeria. He studied library and information science and English and literary studies and worked as an academic librarian at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Osinachi entered the crypto art scene in 2017.[7] In 2020, he held his debut solo show, Osinachi: Existence as Protest, at the Kate Vasse Galerie in Zürich, Switzerland.[2] In 2021, Osinachi garnered attention for selling $75,000 worth of NFTs in 10 days.[8]

Osinachi partnered with the Mohamed Amin Foundation to release NFTs for a catalogue featuring 2.5 million photographs and more than 5,000 hours of video content. The project launched $Afrofuture, an Ethereum-based social currency.[9]

Osinachi's work has been described as "engagingly political, drawing from conversations on gender, tradition, and race."[10] Writing about the art market in 2020, curator Jason Bailey called Osinachi "the best of what the coming generation of artists have to offer."[11] He wrote: "Osinachi's work stands out in part because he is self-taught and creates his work using Microsoft Word, a common word processing tool few would ever think to use for making art. His signature use of color and pattern create sophisticated compositions that are dynamic, but flat like a collage, unusual for artists working digitally. His work is bold, distinct, authentic, sincere, and addresses his generation's desire for equality, diversity, and environmentalism in a way that is direct without being too on the nose."[11]

In 2021, 1-54 and Christie's collaborated in an online auction of Osinachi's series Different Shades of Water, making him the first African NFT artist to be so featured. The series was inspired by David Hockney's 1972 painting Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures). The artworks were displayed at Somerset House. In FAD Magazine, art critic Mark Westall wrote: "In this series, Osinachi imagines what the pool would look like with different shades of water, playing with the position of the subject’s body, and exploring how daylight can change our perception of water in a pool. He builds on his signature style to emphasise the relationship between person and water in a world where people have adapted to recreating nature and the natural body. Each piece is a commentary on the endless prioritisation of work and achievements over the wellbeing of the human body. From a technical point of view, the series is a triumph for Osinachi in his quest to digitally create a believable water body across multiple digital paintings."[12]

• Osinachi: Existence as Protest at Kate Vasse Galerie, Zurich
• Different Shades of Water at Somerset House with Christie's and 1-54, London