Based in Nigeria, Agbaka Oryiman is more than a visual artist — he is an artvocate. His work is layered with emotion, resistance, healing, and consciousness. Every piece he creates carries the weight of lived experience and the urgency of truth. Through color, texture, and symbolism, Oryiman transforms personal pain into collective reflection.

His relationship with art began early. At just seven years old, he found himself drawn to colors and the act of drawing. What began as childhood curiosity soon became something deeper — a calling. That first interface with color marked the beginning of a lifelong journey, one that would evolve in phases and chapters.

Oryiman made his debut into the art world through ballpoint pen drawings — a medium that required patience, precision, and discipline. From there, he transitioned into paintings and mixed media, embracing experimentation while maintaining emotional intensity. Each phase of his journey reflects growth, not just technically, but spiritually.

For someone seeing his work for the first time, Oryiman hopes they don’t just see a painting — he hopes they feel the pain it took to create it. His art often comes from a place of suffering. It is both an outlet and an escape. Through creating, he channels his emotions, frustrations, and desires into something transformative. Art, for him, is survival. It is how he processes life and imagines a better world.

The themes that define his work are bold and unapologetic. Social justice. Racial justice. Collective struggle. Human consciousness. Political awareness. His art speaks to systems of oppression and the lived realities of those navigating them. It challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable truths while also offering space for reflection and healing.

When audiences experience his work, Oryiman hopes they feel a calm within tension — a balance between chaos and clarity. His pieces often create a bridge between the real and the abstract, between the visible and the unseen. He describes it as moving beyond the three-dimensional world into something multidimensional — a space where viewers can recognize what they may have been missing or what they were never shown.

The story behind his art is simple yet profound: life itself. Along his journey, life has been his greatest teacher. Every experience — every hardship, every realization — finds its way onto canvas. When he paints, he thinks about life in its rawest form.

His journey has not been without struggle. As a child growing up, Oryiman faced trauma and emotional hardship. At one point, he even battled suicidal thoughts. In moments of darkness, art became his safe place. Though he stepped away from it for a time while navigating the materialistic distractions of the world, there was always an inner calling — a reminder of who he was meant to be. Art was not just a passion; it was remembrance.

Today, his work reflects both his inner and outer worlds from a multidimensional perspective. His advocacy for social and racial justice stems from lived experience within oppressive systems. Having encountered the justice system firsthand and witnessing the lingering effects of colonial imperialism, Oryiman transformed pain into purpose. He now identifies as an “artvocate” — using creativity as a vehicle for awareness, equity, and systemic change.

Agbaka Oryiman’s work is not designed for passive viewing. It is meant to stir thought, evoke emotion, and spark dialogue. It is a reminder that even in suffering, there is creation. Even in tension, there is balance. And even in oppression, there is voice.

Through his art, he continues to imagine — and demand — a fairer world for all.