Chantel Okwesa

Lives and works in London.

Chantel Okwesa is a painter based in South London whose work explores themes of identity, social theory, and personal reckoning through a distinctly expressive, abstract style. As a queer Black woman, Okwesa’s art navigates complex questions of selfhood and belonging, drawing inspiration from Black feminist theorists such as bell hooks, Audre Lorde, and Afua Hirsch. Her work transforms concepts like optimistic nihilism and self-actualisation into visual spaces that offer sanctuary and evoke resilience, joy, and introspection.

Chantel Okwesa CV

Okwesa’s painting process is both reflective and research-driven, weaving philosophical ideas with her own emotional currents. Influenced by abstract expressionism, she views her practice as a translation of language into form—thoughts and writings into brushstrokes. Her works are rich in colour and texture, creating abstract realms that invite viewers into moments of peace and self-discovery. Rooted in “spiteful joy,” her pieces resist societal pressures by focusing on the lightness and tranquillity found within personal expression, carving out spaces of refuge in a world often marked by distraction and disenfranchisement.

Education
2024, BA Fine Art - Goldsmiths, University of London- Graded First Class
2021, Foundation Diploma in Art and Design - Oxford Brookes University- Graded Distinction

Exhibitions
Solo
2024
Lewisham Arthouse, “Abstract Diaries”, London, UK
Ben Pimlott Building & Virtual exhibition “Goldsmiths Fine Art Degree Show” London, UK

Group
2024
Woolf Gallery, “The Graduate Art Show”, London, UK
Kunstraum Kreuzberg, “Anonymous Drawings”, Berlin, Germany
Southwark Park Galleries, “Annual Open”, London, Uk
Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, “For the Culture Festival”, London, UK
Candid Arts Trust, “Graduate Art Exhibition”, London, UK
Tate Modern, “Inside Job Staff Biennale” London, UK
The Office Space, “Collateral Merger”, London, UK
VDF, “Letting Go At Spilt Milk”, London, UK
The Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg, “Annual Show”, Hamburg, Germany

2023
Take Courage Gallery, “The Drawing Room”, London UK

Awards
Lewisham Arthouse Graduate Studio Award and Residency
Art Student Alliance Exchange programme at The Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg

Workshops & Talks
2022 – ongoing – “Tate African Heritage tours”, Tour, Tate, London, UK
2024 – ongoing – Together through art, Creative peer facilitating, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, UK
2024 – A Particular Reality Mail Art Project, Workshop, Goldsmiths CCA, London, UK
2024 – A Particular Reality, Junior Fellow and facilitator, Goldsmiths CCA, London, UK