Chukwudi Onwudiwe – Founded Marvel Arts Ltd in 2002 and established Chuck Gallery in 2015. Both organisations have afforded him the opportunity of executing his career objective of contributing to the field of modern and contemporary African Art, with a particular focus on exhibiting works of young artists and improving local and international art patronage. He recently concluded a postgraduate Master’s degree in Arts Management, Policy and Practice at the University of Manchester. As part of this course of study, he interned at Salford Museum and Gallery, Salford, as a Collections Assistant, working with the Visual Arts Collections team in the delivery of a range of projects. His time here also enabled him gain invaluable practical experience at the museum in the storage and conservation of artefacts and maintenance of their associated records to the rigorous standards required by the British Council Collection.
A key part of his internship at Salford Museum and Gallery also enabled him to consolidate on his knowledge about the importance of using information technology and events to make collections accessible to a wider audience. This involved among others, assisting the team with the implementation of new acquisition policies and processes including documentation, gallery liaison and digitisation. Further, he contributed to the development of reports and evaluation documentation relating to works in the collection as well as improving database entries for specific areas of the collection.
He is responsible for developing the collection at Chuck Gallery, working with a focused team to further the gallery’s practice, through exhibitions, art fairs, salons and workshops.
Chukwudi’s focus has remained championing emerging artists, labouring to build their market acceptance and standing by these young artists, to bring these inherently gifted artists from seeming obscurity to a future position where their works become much more improved and appreciated.
So far, Chukwudi’s organisation has leveraged on collaborations with both local and international organisations to host exhibitions. For instance, the gallery was was involved in an art auction to raise funds to support a cervical cancer screening programme in Nigeria in partnership with the International Cervical Cancer Screening Group of the UCL Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women’s Health. This event was held on 22nd March 2007 at the Royal Society of Medicine, London. In addition, between the 27th and 29th of October 2006 the gallery partnered with the Medical Association of Nigerian Specialists and General Practitioners in The British Isles to host an exhibition for MANSAG’s 2006 Autumn Conference in Sheffield, UK in 2006.
A 1990 University of Ibadan graduate of English, Chukwudi also holds a degree in Law from the University of Benin, following which he completed the Bar Course at the Nigerian Law School and earned a place on the Rolls as Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He also holds a second Master’s degree in International Business Law and Regulation, from the University of Salford. A family man, he is married to Ifeoma Onwudiwe who aside from studying medicine, is a quintessential cook and a promoter of arts. Their marriage is blessed with three lovely girls.
Related Articles about Mr Chukwudi Onwudiwe
- My Salford museum. Institute for Cultural Practice, University of Manchester. July 2015. https://culturalpractice.wordpress.com/2015/07/08/chukwudi-onwudiwe-salford-museum/.
- Tracking Marvel Art’s Path to Reckoning. AllAfrica, ThisDay media publications. November 2015. http://allafrica.com/stories/201511231505.html