Sculptor Nnamdi Okonkwo lives and works in Fayetteville, Georgia, where he has created figurative sculpture full-time for decades. He knew he was meant to be an artist at 17, a calling encouraged by his mother, a rare gift in his Nigerian upbringing.
Okonkwo studied art from an early age, earning a bachelor’s degree in painting before completing additional degrees, including an MFA in sculpture. Since graduating in 1997, he has remained devoted to his practice. His work centers on the human figure, particularly the female form, exploring what he describes as the nobility, grace, and quiet divinity of the human spirit.
Working intuitively in clay or wax, Okonkwo allows each form to emerge naturally before casting the finished piece in bronze, a material he values for its strength and permanence. “Sometimes my work starts with a sketch,” he says, “other times I just immerse my hands in clay or wax… and wait with excitement to see where my hands take me.” His sculptures appear in museum collections, private holdings, and public spaces worldwide. For Okonkwo, sculpture is both devotion and discovery, giving timeless human presence physical form.
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