CARY OKORO

Cary Okoro is an artist and filmmaker whose work explores themes of nature, memory, trauma and identity. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, Okoro distorts her compositions, introducing elements of abstraction and chaos. This disruption of traditional modes of image-making and story-telling is intended to question dominant narratives--about beauty and worth, power and belonging, wellness and wholeness—and encourage viewers to consider alternative perspectives.

Okoro received her BFA and MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) and is a member of the Director’s Guild of America (DGA.) Her paintings, photographs and mixed-media work have been included in shows in New York, Chicago and throughout the United States. Okoro’s personal documentary about the devastating effects of Alzheimer's disease, "Something Should Be Done About Grandma Ruthie," aired on PBS, won numerous awards and has screened internationally. She is the recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Illinois Arts Council, The Puffin Foundation and many others. Her work has received prestigious awards and is in collections across the US.

Installation: We Reach Across the Same Blue Sky

We Reach Across the Same Blue Sky is a visual meditation on migration, culture and identity. Using images and text from my family’s rural history in Switzerland and Sweden and my husband’s rural roots in Nigeria, this work explores how the journeys of those who came before impact our own, as well as our children’s developing sense of identity. While our ancestors spoke different languages, had different cultural practices and came from separate continents, the title, “We Reach Across the Same Blue Sky,” refers to the underlying connection of human beings to each other and to nature, ultimately the deepest form of belonging.

Working in charcoal and acrylic paint, portraits and landscapes from our family histories are punctuated with handwritten lines of text, photo transparencies and deep blues and greens that flow onto the wall space, echoing the changing landscape of identity. So many families share stories like ours, I hope the viewer sees parts of their own journey reflected in this work.

Showing at the Muse GR ArtPod, 128 Louis St. NW

Series: Every Imprint Leaves a Mark

"I am interested in how our experiences shape who we become and imprint on our being. I hope this work connects with those who struggle to find their place in the world, to take the marks that we carry and transform them into self-understanding."

In the series, "Every Imprint Leaves a Mark," portraits of everyday activities—our son walking the dog, our daughter on a nature hike—are layered with imagery from the rural villages in Nigeria, where my husband was born, and Switzerland where my relatives were farmers. The gold color from traditional Nigerian clothing made for my husband, yet interestingly manufactured in Switzerland, shows up in the radiant color of our son's hoodie and the stitching on my daughter's clothing, a connecting thread. Details from the built and natural landscape fuse, bringing memories of place, time and those who came before.

WoodTV News coverage of "Every Imprint Leaves a Mark"

When not making art, Okoro enjoys spending time with her family, exploring nature and advocating for social and environmental justice.

She lives with her husband, two children and their golden retriever in Michigan. And let's face it, the golden retriever runs this show.