CHIDINMA DUREKE
Chidinma Dureke was born in Washington D.C. to parents of Nigerian descent, Chidinma was raised between Nigeria and the United States. Her unique cross-cultural perspective characterizes her art, which investigates and celebrates Black identity. Especially drawn to portraiture, Chidinma creates vibrant visual narratives that masterfully integrate elements of African art history, portrait painting, and modern-day mass media.
Chidinma’s interests and experience are as diverse as her painting portfolio. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting and graphic design at Frostburg State University and has since pursued a career in visual art, graphic design, marketing, and film production design. Chidinma is the CEO of CHDesignz, a full-service design studio, and social media marketing agency, and the co-founder of Nkem Life, a popular blog, featured Washington Post, about culture and dual identity. Chidinma is currently pursuing a Master’s degree from the LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Painting at Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland.
b. Washington D.C.
Lives and works in Maryland. American
SELECTED SOLO AND TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2024 Yale University Dwight Hall: Center for Public Service & Social Justice, The JC Notebook, New Haven, CT
2022 Asian Fusion Gallery, Shipped And Sold, Washington D.C.
2021 Black Girls Who Paint, We Roam Freely Showcase, Virtual
2015 Anacostia Arts Center, The Journey For Regina, Washington D.C.
2015 Kaplan Gallery, Gen-Y 2.0, Rockville, MD
2014 Howard County Center for the Arts, Art Maryland 2014, Ellicott City, MD
2013 ArtDC, Small Works, Hyattsville, MD
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 Howard Community College, Liminal Resonance, Columbia, MD
2024 Maryland Institute College of the Arts, Caesura, Baltimore, MD
2024 Zo Gallery, Fragment(ed)ing, Baltimore, MD
2024 Maryland Institute College of the Arts Office of Culture & Identity, Dreams at Home, Baltimore, MD
2024 Studio Gallery DC, Diasporic Connections, Washington D.C.
2023 Sheila & Richard Riggs Gallery, Conjure, MICA Fred Lazarus IV Center, Baltimore, MD
2023 Montpelier Art Center, 54th Annual Laurel Art Guild Open Juried Exhibition, Laurel, MD
2023 Church of the Brethren Gallery, Human Rights, Civic Engagement, And Peacebuilding, Washington D.C.
2016 Atlas Performing Arts Center, 4C Hair, Washington D.C.
2015 Super Wonder Gallery, 2015 Manifesto Art Festival, Toronto, Canada
2015 Annapolis House of Delegates Building, The Guild, Annapolis, MD
2015 39th Street Gallery, The Summer Show, Brentwood, MD
2011 Stephanie Anne Ropper Gallery, Untitled, Frostburg, MD
HONORS AND AWARDS
2024 The Graduate Research Development Grant, Spring 2024, Maryland Institute College of the Arts, Baltimore, MD
2023 ColorCreative Productions Fellowship, Find Your People Program, 2023 Cohort,jLos Angeles, California
2023 Liu Shiming Art Grant Scholar, 2023 Cohort, New York, New York
2023 Leroy E. Hoffberger Program Graduate Merit Scholarship, Baltimore, MD
2015 Prince George’s County FORTY Under 40 Award, Bowie, MD
2014 Gerald King Fine Arts Award Study Grant, Riverdale Park, MD
2012 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Outstanding Artistic Performance Showcase Grant, Bethesda, MD
2012 The Society Incorporated, Montgomery County, Visual Artist Award/Scholarship
2009 Frostburg State University, Honors Award, Grant/Scholarship
PRESS AND PUBLICATION FEATURES
2024 The Baltimore Banner – 7 Art Exhibits To See This Summer In The Baltimore Region. [Baltimore] June 2024. Digital
2024 BmoreArt – Seven Art Shows to See This Summer: June and July Exhibitions. [Baltimore] June 2024. Digital
2024 2023 Liu Shiming Art Grants Recipient Interview with Chidinma Dureke. [New York, NY] July 2024
2024 The Hollywood Reporter – “ColorCreative’s Find Your People Program Adds Composer Track for Year Two“. Digital
2024 The Washington Post – “In The Galleries: Artists Offer Social Commentary On Black Migrations”. Print/Digital
2023 The Hollywood Reporter – “Issa Rae’s ColorCreative Reveals Inaugural Find Your People Program Cohort”.
2021 BuzzFeed – “30 Paintings in 30 Days Painting Portrait Challenge”. Digital
2017 Washington Post – “Two sisters aim to bring a bit of Africa and some flavor, to D.C.” . Print/Digital
2015 SunNewsOnline.com, Nigeria, ‘Chidinma Dureke Makes top 10 black women artists’. Digital
2014 The Baltimore Sun Newspaper [Baltimore] November 2014. . Print
ARTIST TALKS AND WORKSHOPS
2024 Kings Place, Big Picture Case Study: Empowering Filmmakers to Bring Their Vision to Life, Camden, London
2024 Church of the Brethren Gallery, Movements Unveiled: Colors in Motion, Group Exhibition, Washington D.C.
2024 Canva & ColorCreative, Art of the Pitch Presentation, Virtual/Zoom
2024 Zo Gallery, Fragment(ed)ing, Closing Reception Artist Talk, Baltimore, MD
2024 ColorCreative, Canva: FYPP Year 2 Art of the Pitch Workshop, Virtual/Zoom
2024 Liu Shiming Art Foundation Gallery, Innovative Narratives: Art Grants Talk, New York, NY
2024 Gateway Community College, The Community Vitality Roundtable Rundown, Yale University, New Haven, CT
2024 Studio Gallery DC, Closing Reception Artist Talk, Washington D.C.
2023 ColorCreative, Pitch Presentation, Los Angeles, CA
2023 Church of the Brethren Gallery, Human Rights, Civic Engagement, And Peacebuilding, Washington D.C.
2021 Old Greenbelt Theatre, TITLES, Greenbelt, MD
2022 Asian Fusion Gallery, Shipped And Sold, Washington D.C.
2016 Atlas Performing Arts Center, 4C Hair, Washington D.C.
2016 Anacostia Arts Center, ‘Voices of Color: A Community Discussion’, Washington D.C.
2015 Anacostia Arts Center, ‘The Journey For Regina’ Washington D.C
