BIOGRAPHY

Ekow Nimako is a Toronto-based, internationally exhibiting LEGO® artist who crafts futuristic and whimsical sculptures from the iconic medium. Rooted in his childhood hobby and intrinsic creativity, Nimako’s formal arts education and background as a lifelong multidisciplinary artist inform his process and signature aesthetic. His fluid building style, coupled with the Afrofuturisticthemes of his work, beautifully transcend the geometric medium to embody organic and fantastical silhouettes.

His large scale public installations include the monumental Cavalier Noir (Nuit Blanche, 2018) which features a seven-foot Black rider atop a dauntless Black unicorn. Conceptualized in collaboration with Director X, the piece subverts the dominant imagination of public monuments and centres Black narratives.

Nimako’s installation To Feed the Village, the Young Must Grow debuted at Berlin’s Urban Contemporary Art Biennale (Urban Nation Museum for Urban Contemporary Art, 2019) alongside other internationally renowned visual artists. The touring group show Brick by Brick features several works from his Building Black Mythos series and continues touring the UK until 2023 (20-21 Visual Arts Centre, UK, 2019).

Nimako’s medieval Africa inspired series Building Black Civilizations opened in 2019 at the Aga Khan Museum. The architectural and imaginative pieces explore the untold narratives of sub-Saharan Africa during the middle ages, with detailed references to architecture, Islamic civilizations and Africanfuturism. The anticipated sequel to this exhibition, Building Black Civilizations: Journey of 2000 Ships premieres at Dunlop gallery in Regina in the fall of 2022.

Nimako’s body of work Building Black AMORPHIA presents artworks that thread together elements of West African mask making traditions, fauna and organic forms to create an amorphous and fantastical tapestry. This wall-mounted series displayed at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto from January to June 2020. Exhibition plans for AMORPHIA II: Spiritual Starships are currently underway.

Nimako’s work has been featured in media outlets and publications such as NOW Magazine, esse, Studio Magazine, CBC, CBC Radio, Global News, TorontoLife, VICE, BBC, Toronto Star, BlogTO, DAZED, Yanko Design, CNN, SHARP, Hyperallergic, Colossal, and the Globe and Mail. He is a published author of Beasts from Bricks (Quarry Books, 2017) an instructional book featuring miniature sculptures of rare and beautiful animals with an elevated aesthetic.

Formalizing his official partnership with the LEGO group in 2022, Nimako’s art practice, creative process, and instructional workshop Building Beyond were highlighted in the D&AD Award-winning documentary short Rebuild the World directed by LeSean Harris of Fela.tv.

CV

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, Nuit Blanche, Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023 - Building Black Mythos, The Glass Works - Barnsley, UK

2022 - A Scared Place, Cooper Union - NYC, USA

2022 - Building Black Mythos, Ferens Art Gallery - Hull, UK

2022 - Building Black Mythos, Rugby Museum and Art Gallery - Rugby UK,

2021 - Building Black Mythos, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery - Shropshire, UK

2020 - Building Black Mythos, Gracefield Arts Centre - Dumfries, UK

2020 - Building Black AMORPHIA, EXPO 2020, Dubai, UAE

2020 - Building Black Mythos, The Harley Gallery, Nottinghamshire - UK

2020 - Cavalier Noir, Brick Campus - Jeju-do, KOR

2020 - Building Black AMORPHIA, Robert Kananaj Gallery - Toronto, CA

2020 - Building Black AMORPHIA, Harbourfront Centre - Toronto, CA

2019 - Building Black Mythos, 20-21 Visual Art Centre - North Lincolnshire, UK

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

2019 - Fly High, Brick Campus - Seoul, KOR

2018 - Cavalier Noir, Nuit Blanche, Scarborough Civic Centre - Toronto, CA

2017 - CreativeTO, Artscape Young Place - Toronto, CA

2016 - Intergalactic Noise, Art Gallery of Mississauga - Mississauga, CA

2015 - Building Black, Capacity 3 Gallery - Guelph, CA

2015 - Black Future Month, Ontario College of Art and Design - Toronto, CA

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2023 - Building Black Civilizations: Journey of 2000 Ships, Dunlop Gallery - Regina, Saskatchewan

2022- The Great Turtle Race - Billund, Denmark

2019 - Building Black: Civilizations, Aga Khan Museum - Toronto, CA

2015 - Building Black, Capacity 3 Gallery - Guelph, CA

2014 - Building Black, Impressario Gallery - Cobourg, CA

2014 - Building Black, Daniels Spectrum - Toronto, CA

EDUCATION

2007 - 2010 - BFA: Studio, York University

RESIDENCIES

2023 - Williston Northampton School - Grubb Gallery Artist Residency

2018 - The Power Plant Gallery - Power Youth Residency/Winter

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

2022 - The Great Turtle Race, The LEGO® Group

2021 - TML Leaf - Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment

2020 - Darth Myles - NBA Indiana Pacers, Myles Turner

2020 - American Eel - Toronto Zoo

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, Nuit Blanche

2014 - Lady Nzinga - Canadian Film Centre, Bold, Black Risk-taker 2014

COLLECTIONS

2020 - World on a Camel’s Back - TD Bank Corporate Art Collection

2020 - Esun, Ezyria, Mantawutu - Global Affairs Canada - Visual Art Collection

2020 - Kumbi Saleh 3020 CE - Aga Khan Museum - Permanent Collection