Born in 1982, Chuma Anagbado is a Nigerian multidisciplinary artist whose practice explores identity, spirituality, memory, and cultural continuity through drawing, mixed media and installation art. Rooted in indigenous Igbo visual traditions, his work reinterprets historical symbols and material culture.

His latest body of work, Waste Beads, expands this investigation through the use of the Igbo Waist bead (Mgbaji Ukwu) as material and metaphor. Drawing from the historical and spiritual significance of waist beads within West African societies, Anagbado reframes waste as a form of archive and cultural memory, revealing value within materials often considered disposable. Constructed from discarded plexiglass waste cut into bead-like fragments, they reflect on the lasting effects of slavery, colonisation, war, and the broader experiences of displacement and diaspora.

A defining element of Anagbado’s practice is his engagement with Uli, the traditional Igbo art form recognised for its fluid linearity, symbolism, and storytelling. Through intricate line work and repetitive forms, he creates layered compositions that examine how personal and collective identities are shaped by migration, history, and postcolonial realities. His visual language merges traditional aesthetics with modern material experimentation, creating works that are both deeply rooted and globally resonant. Across his practice, Anagbado approaches art as both archive and intervention — a means of preserving indigenous knowledge while confronting today’s social realities. His works invite reflection on race, inequality, belonging, and the enduring power of cultural identity within an increasingly fragmented world.

Chuma holds a BA in Fine Arts from the University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria and an MA in Design from the University for the Creative Arts, Rochester, UK. His works are held in public and private collections across the world.