Ekow Nimako has been making art with Lego his entire life. It began when he was four and later took root in the sculpture studios of York University, evolving over the years into a fascinating contemporary art practice unlike any other. Along with his uniquely fluid building style, Nimako’s keen attention to form and content deeply rooted in fantasy and other-worldly Black narratives has enabled his artwork to transcend the iconic bricks and reach new heights of materiality and substance. His 2018 collaboration with visionary filmmaker and artist Director X, resulted in the bold seven foot tall equestrian monument Cavalier Noir. Taking the shape of a young Black warrior astride a dauntless black unicorn, the sculpture challenged pervasive colonial statues of heroism and gained national interest as one of the most impactful exhibits of Nuit Blanche. In September 2019, the haunting installation To Feed the Village the Young Must Grow from Nimako's Building Black: Mythos body of work will premier at the Urban Contemporary Art Biennale in Berlin, followed by the international group exhibition Brick by Brick as it launches its 2020 tour in the United Kingdom. September 2019 will also see Nimako’s long-anticipated, medieval Africa-inspired series Building Black: Civilizations make its premier at the venerated Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. The exhibit references ancient African architecture and reimagines the fantastical chronicles of Saharan caravans that facilitated exchange during the middle ages, a period deeply explored in the museum's concurrent art historical show Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange Across Medieval Saharan Africa. 

Ekow lives and works in Toronto, Canada.

PUBLIC ARTWORKS

2018 - Cavalier Noir, Nuit Blanche, Scarborough Civic Centre/Toronto City Hall

2016 – Grey Matters, The Brain Project/Baycrest Foundation, Union Station |

Yorkdale Shopping Centre

2015 – Silent Knight, Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art

EXHIBITIONS

2019 - Building Black: Mythos, 20-21 Visual Art Centre

2019 - To Feed the Village the Young Must Grow, Urban Nation Museum for Urban Contemporary  Art, Urban Nation Biennale

2019 - Building Black: Civilizations, Aga Khan Museum

2019 - Fly High, Brick Campus

2018 - Cavalier Noir, Nuit Blanche, Scarborough Civic Centre/Toronto City Hall

2017 - (Group Exhibition) CreativeTO, Artscape Young Place

2016 - (Group Exhibition) Intergalactic Noise, Art Gallery of Mississauga

2015 - (Solo Exhibition) Building Black, Capacity 3 Gallery

2015 - (Group Exhibition) Black Future Month, Ontario College of Art and Design

2014 - (Solo Exhibition) Building Black, B.A.N.D Gallery and Cultural Centre

2014 - (Solo Exhibition) Building Black, Impresario Gallery

2014 - (Solo Exhibition) Building Black, Daniels Spectrum

EDUCATION

2007 - 2010 - BFA: Studio, York University

RESIDENCIES/WORKSHOPS

2016 – The Art Gallery of Mississauga - Roots and Branches

2015 - The Power Plant Gallery - Power Youth Residency/Winter

2015 - The Power Plant Gallery - Power Youth Residency/Fall

COMMISSIONS

2018 - Cavalier Noir, City of Toronto, Nuit Blanche 

2018 - Copa, Nemeziz, X, Predator, Tango League, adidas Canada

2016 – Grey Matters, The Brain Project - Baycrest Foundation

2016 – the Bergeron Centre of Engineering Excellence, Lassonde School of

Engineering

2015 - Silent Knight, City of Toronto, Scotiabank Nuit Blanche
2014 - Lady Nzinga, Canadian Film Centre, Bold, Black Risk-taker 2014