Emmie Nume, Swing Mood

Emmie Nume’s paintings and drawings reflect a deeply intuitive practice. While mostly focusing on portraiture, he captures the essence of emotions through free expression devoid of any formal and academic calculation of his figures and scenes. Mainly working with charcoal, pastels and acrylics on canvas and paper, in his works Emmie Nume adds spontaneous use of collage, found objects and other media. Inspired by an innocent investigative spirit, his work reflects a playful, and childlike approach to art-making.

Emmie Nume, Sunday, 2021, mixed media on canvas.

“I am not inspired by anything but I am someone who creates because something touches me, because it fascinates me. I create because my thoughts are just thoughts...they are unapologetic.”

– Emmie Nume

An outward reflection of inward conversations with himself, the artworks manifest as figurative abstract. The sad faces often portrayed by the artist become a gateway into a world of complex, unsettling, unapologetic and desolate emotions that are primarily triggered by the artist’s thoughts and personal experiences at particular points in time. Using charcoal in its darkest possible form, the artist scribbles portraits of strangers in his mind, strangers in whom he identifies a familiar fondness.