When one is bold enough to say she is a pop surrealist artist, (in today’s tech world) it speaks volumes on the depth of her passion and commitment to a chosen career path.
“I am a Nigerian-born surrealist painter based in London,” Maureen Uzoh says excitedly and will always say anywhere and anytime.
She may not be in the class of surrealist art pioneers such as Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and Max Ernst, but she is not far from the class of contemporary pop surrealist artists such as Vakseen, Casey Weldon, Tom Grillo, Jeff Soto, among others.
Her works go after her, amid a generous display of sheer creative ingenuity.
As aptly captured by her genre and specialty in the arts, Uzoh’s work draws from the vibrant and playful world of Pop Surrealism, blending surreal imagery with contemporary cultural influences.
Describing her technique, she explained that they are inspired by Pop Surrealism. “My process blends acrylic, oil, and mixed media to create bold, vibrant works that carry both intimacy and universality. Whether through paintings or public interventions, my aim is to create spaces of reflection and liberation, reminders that freedom is something we build within ourselves and with others,” Uzoh said.
With her process, she has taken her Pop Surrealism craft a notch higher, amid special skills and innovation.
Her creative ingenuity is obvious with her ability to reimagine figures with balloons for heads; a substitution that stands as a metaphor for a multitude of themes including life, resilience, fragility, and freedom – from conventional norms, and to go wherever the wind takes her in the unpredictable world.
“My work explores the tension between resilience, fragility, and freedom, often through balloon-headed figures that symbolise the push and pull between being tethered by life’s weight and the desire to rise, adapt, and dream,” she said, explaining her work.
In addition, she uses her art to connect with universal human experiences, encouraging conversations around freedom, mental health, identity, and the ephemeral beauty of life.
From the African Artist Foundation in Nigeria, to Calabar Gallery in New York, to Broadworks x Hive in London, United Kingdom, where she had her debut solo exhibition, and to a number of galleries where she has exhibited, the viewers kept commenting on her incredible talent.
But in all these lies an intrigue. Uzoh, a believer in self-development, is and has always been herself. She is proud to be a self-taught artist, leaving behind her Sociology degree from Delta State University, Nigeria, and an M.A in International Relations from the University of Portsmouth, to follow her passion as well as teach herself how to nurture it, through years of informal learning and experimentation.
“Rooted in my upbringing and personal journey as a self-taught artist, my practice balances defiance with self-acceptance, encouraging introspection while embracing playfulness,” she explained. Moreover, mental health and self-awareness are the central themes that shape her belief that freedom is not simply about escape but about choosing one’s own path with intention.
Uzoh is a very practical person; hence her personality also influences her art and belief.
One glaring instance is “Send a Message to the Universe”, one of her public art projects, where participants write messages on balloons and release them, some letting go, others manifesting hopes.
“It is a modern ritual of release and connection, which I continue in the studio through a painting series honouring these voices,” she said.
It is time to truly meet Uzoh. Those who saw Uzoh’s work at ‘A Familiar Gathering’ of the New Perspectives Exhibition still recall their excitement months after.
For five months, the ‘A Familiar Gathering’ was on show at Broadworks, 53–54 Old Broad Street, London.
The exhibition, curated by Hive Curates in collaboration with Eastern City BID and Landsec, offered many Londoners the opportunity to meet Uzoh, the Nigerian-born surrealist painter, who is turning their city spaces into big canvases.
With her ‘A Familiar Gathering’, a surrealist installation that contemplates migration, memory, and freedom through the recurring motif of the balloon, Uzoh was among the three striking artist window takeovers at the recently vacant, Hackett London space, 53-54 Old Broad Street.
‘A Familiar Gathering’, Uzoh’s installation, is a big red painting, showing an intimate moment that reflects shared histories of displacement and connection. Surrounding the painting are dozens of Ankara papier-mâché balloons, crafted by hand to preserve their shape even after the air has escaped. This act of preservation mirrors the migration experience itself: leaving one life behind while carrying its imprint into another.
The installation also draws parallels between the fragility of balloons and the human journey, with each balloon becoming a vessel for memory, delicate yet enduring, fragile yet hopeful. She explained that the Ankara patterns on the balloons reference the movement of cultures and identities across borders, echoing the artist’s own story as a Nigerian living in London.
Yet again, the installation redefines the urban display window as a site of reflection and empathy, as through her surreal imagery and storytelling, Uzoh invites viewers to consider migration not only as a geographical crossing but as a universal act of rising, carrying, and remembering.
Most importantly, at the end, that very outing was a big lift for her career outside the studio.
The London authorities were also happy for the positive occupation of the empty spaces in the city with the art exhibition.
“With the growing number of new developments according to Savills, the vacancy rate is forecasted to reach 8.3% in the City by Q4 2024. It is so important to reimagine new ways to animate our high streets. This opportunity provides visibility for emerging artists, the transformation of a former Hackett space formerly designated for commercial trading has now become a cultural spotlight for three talented and diverse woman artists. Exploring themes of identity and belonging through their works connecting audiences with new perspectives as they pass by on their daily commutes,” Chantelle Purcell, Hive Curates explained.
Uzoh’s creative ingenuity also spoke volumes again at Galleria Objets, Brick Lane, London, where her work was among a vibrant collection of works from 32 renowned and emerging artists across the globe for the launch of Able-Graphy: Volume 2, the second instalment of the groundbreaking artistic exploration that reimagines the iconic Nosakhari ABLE bag and its signifier handle as symbols of creativity, resilience, and human connection.
At the exhibition, which ran from February 20-23, 2025, Uzoh enthralls global audiences with her work titled, ‘As I begin this Journey’, an oil paint, photo transfer and acrylic on canvas work.
She explained the work saying, “As I Begin This Journey is a self-reflective painting that marks both a personal and artistic turning point in my career. Exhibited as part of Nosakhari’s London Fashion Week show Able-Graphy: Volume 2, the work visualises the courage required to take the first step toward self-definition and independence”.
Once again, the central figure of the work, portrayed with her signature balloon head, embodies a delicate yet determined energy, a symbol of fragility and freedom existing side by side. The red balloon, she noted, represented vitality and purpose, tethered but rising, echoing the human condition of striving toward balance in a world of uncertainty. The figure’s upward stride, one shoe missing, captures the imperfect but fearless spirit of beginnings.
“Created during a period of transition and renewal, this piece reflects my journey as a Nigerian artist finding a new voice and home within the UK creative landscape. The painting speaks to Nosakhari’s own ethos of craftsmanship, resilience, and individuality, themes that mirror my personal narrative and artistic evolution,” she concluded.
But there is more coming from the creative juices of the Nigerian-born surrealist painter, who was born in 1997. She has time and strength and is committed to nurturing her passion.
So, be on the lookout for more inspiring art from the self-taught and gifted Uzoh.
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