Urechi Oguguo is an artist who invitations us to decelerate. Based mostly in Brooklyn however rooted in Lagos, Nigeria, Urechi strikes fluidly between digital illustration, textile craft, architectural design, and storytelling—every medium providing an area to discover care, relaxation, and pleasure by means of the lens of Black id and different marginalized experiences.
On the coronary heart of her work is a dedication to considerate, inclusive design. Her visuals, usually shiny and meditative, radiate a way of grounding. Whether or not it’s a digital piece celebrating Black pleasure or a handmade object made in group, Urechi’s creations ask: What does it appear like to be seen? What does it really feel prefer to be held by an area, a picture, or a group?
Urechi’s design journey started on the College of Texas at San Antonio, the place she earned her Bachelor’s in Structure. It was there she first found the intimate hyperlink between how we construct our areas and the way we expertise the world. That connection deepened throughout her Grasp of Structure research at Columbia College, the place she acquired the Lucille Smyser Lowenfish Memorial Prize for her modern, human-centered method to design.
Her architectural background is clear in her multidisciplinary observe. Every mission—whether or not a digital paintings, a textile piece, or a user-centered interface—carries the identical intention: to carry house for care, to heart group, and to think about worlds that nourish.
Past her private observe, Urechi is a group builder. She is the founding father of Make House, a gathering place for artists and makers of all talent ranges. By workshops, inventive classes, and intentional dialog, Make House presents a tactile counterpoint to our digital lives. It’s a reminder that there’s worth in making issues slowly, collectively, by hand.
This ethos of group and co-creation extends to her position as a Board Director at Ubuntu Schooling, the place she works to decolonize architectural schooling and advocate for equity-driven design.
Crafting the Future: Digital and Bodily Worlds Intertwined
Urechi’s observe lives on the intersection of expertise and custom. She seamlessly blends bodily and digital media to create experiences which are each modern and deeply human. Her illustrations are vibrant reflections of her perception that artwork is not only a product—however a strategy of connection, contemplation, and care.
By collaborations like her function with Hero Cosmetics, and public conversations like her radio interview with Zama Dube, Urechi continues to push the boundaries of what design and storytelling can do. Her work doesn’t simply sit on the display or hold on a wall—it engages, it asks, and it invitations.
In Urechi’s world, artwork turns into a vessel for presence. Her work is an invite—to breathe, to think about, to assemble, and to rejoice. Whether or not by means of pixels, material, or structure, she reminds us that design is usually a radical act of affection.