1878 & Brown Foundation Galleries
June 14 - August 3, 2025
ArtWalk Opening Reception
Saturday, June 14, 2025
6 – 9 PM
Artist talk at 6:30 PM
GAC’s exhibitions are supported in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Texas Commission on the Arts. Artist accommodations generously provided by Hotel Lucine.
Kingsley Onyeiwu
Crowned in Contradictions
Crowned in Contradictions is an exploration of identity at the intersection of history, culture, and irony. Kingsley Onyeiwu’s exhibition navigates the layered complexities of Afropolitanism—where colonial legacies collide with contemporary expressions, and beauty is both a celebration and a critique. The figures within Onyeiwu’s works are adorned not just with crowns, jewelry, and fabric, but with symbols that challenge singular narratives about Africa and its diaspora. They are regal yet rebellious, occupying spaces where elegance coexists with defiance. Through towering forms, muted abstractions, and satirical undertones, this body of work asks: What does it mean to be crowned by histories we inherit, subvert, and redefine?
Kingsley Onyeiwu’s artwork embodies a blend of traditional and contemporary aesthetics. His admiration of figurative works of art, as well as a deep appreciation for the techniques of the old masters, is projected into a modernist’s vision and recreation—centered on the subject of the African diaspora. In this respect, Onyeiwu not only explores certain moments and eras throughout the course of history with his drawings and paintings, but he also celebrates his cultural background and the narrative of the African diaspora. Echoes of pride, memories, otherworldliness, and confrontation exude from the theme of his works. Onyeiwu earned his B.A. from Texas Southern University (TSU), where he was influenced by the works of Dr. John Biggers and Kermit Oliver. He earned his MA in Painting from Houston Baptist University (HBU), where he cultivated a deeper understanding of the philosophy around his works, while expounding on ideas beyond the layers of portraiture. In 2017, he participated in Rising Eyes of Texas exhibition at the Rockport Center for the Arts in Rockport, TX and received the 1st place award. In addition, in 2017, he also took part in the Citywide African American Artists Exhibition at TSU, where he was awarded 2nd place. Onyeiwu resides in Houston, where he currently teaches art at TSU.