This second year sells her art on Etsy
And she only started painting a month ago
Second year Uzo Njoku started painting a month ago, mainly for the purpose of having some self-made artwork in her home, as well as a stress reliever.
As other students began to see her pieces hanging on the wall, they liked them so much they offered to buy them.
Uzo began to put her work up on Etsy, and she has had customers contacting her from all over, even selling her first painting for $100 to a woman in Colorado.
The Nigerian native moved to the US when she was seven. She considers herself to be very much in touch with her African roots and is proud of it, which is the bulk of the inspiration for her art.
“My parents instilled native values in my home. We still speak our native language, and eat the native food,” says Uzo when she describes her home life.
Uzo’s paintings are very much influenced by her experiences, mostly based on African and African-American cultures. However, she has also depicted other groups such as Muslims.
She theorizes that this type of art is the current trend. People are interested right now in buying African-based art and cultural objects. Also, Uzo wanted to create something different from the paintings already being made, as well as set herself apart.
Seven pieces have been sold so far – an impressive figure for an artist than began painting a month ago. As far as making this a career? Uzo explains that it is just a hobby.
Uzo’s art on a purse
Her first paintings acted as a stress relief from school and work, but as the workload has increased she has found it difficult to really make time to paint.
“It used to relieve my stress, its used to clear my head up. When I had things going on I just sat down and painted my thoughts away.
“I don’t ever have a plan of what I paint, I just sit down and start painting and forms and figures start to come together,” Uzo said.
Each painting takes about two hours for Uzo to complete – a difficult task to fit into a heavy schedule, which most UVA students can empathize with.
“Now with my job at Ulta, school, and other things, it’s actually gotten to be an additional stress factor to paint. Sometimes I don’t have time and when I do find time, I find myself to be too exhausted.”
For now, Uzo is willing to sell her art to anyone interested in buying. She has even been offered to put her pieces in an art show which will take place in early November.
The theme is “My Africa”, and it is being hosted by the Black Student Alliance along with the OAS organization of African students.