Awele Trust Prize (2017), Loose Convo Grant (2018)
Anthony Azekwoh (born May 17, 2000) is a Nigerian contemporary digital artist, author, and entrepreneur based in Lagos, Nigeria.[1][2] His work intertwines digital art with African folklore, mythology, and Afrofuturist themes, primarily exploring Yoruba cosmology and Nigerian cultural narratives.[3] He has been described as "one of the most visible digital artists on the continent"[4] and is known for his viral 2020 artwork The Red Man, which sold for $25,000 as an NFT.[5]
Anthony Azekwoh was born in 2000 in Lagos, Nigeria.[1] He attended Whitesands School, Lagos, where he began creative writing as a high school student.[8] There he met Nigerian writer and linguist Kola Tubosun, his English teacher, who became his mentor.[4] During this period, he encountered the works of writers such as Nnedi Okorafor, Lesley Nneka Arimah, and Neil Gaiman, who influenced his storytelling approach.[8]
Azekwoh began writing at age 13 and has since authored five books and hundreds of short stories and essays.[3][10] His published works include Star (2020), The Day the Devil Came To Nigeria, and Sango Oya.[10][11] He has also written a series titled The Fall of the Gods published on Brittle Paper, and is developing a comic series called The Witches of Auchi.[3]
In 2017, Azekwoh won the Awele Trust Prize for his short story "The Fall of the Gods."[3]
Visual art
Azekwoh began digital painting in 2016, initially drawing with ink pens on A4 paper after his laptop broke, forcing him to explore new creative outlets.[9] He started posting his work online and receiving commissions from international clients by 2016–2017.[3]
The Red Man and NFT breakthrough
In June 2020, Azekwoh created The Red Man, a digital portrait that became his breakthrough work. Initially painted as a personal experiment without commercial intent, the artwork went viral upon posting, accumulating over 220,000 likes on social media.[5][12] The painting depicts a figure shrouded in red hues with a stoic gaze, which Azekwoh described as feeling "fully mine: bold, raw, and different."[12]
The Red Man was subsequently sold on SuperRare as an NFT for $25,000, bringing Azekwoh international recognition.[5] Within months of entering the NFT space, he generated over $80,000 in sales, eventually grossing more than $200,000 total.[3][12] In 2021, he sold out collections on platforms including Charged Particles, SuperRare, and Nifty Gateway.[13]
His commercial clients include Meta, for whom his artwork was featured in an NFT gallery as part of the #FlexNaija mixed reality initiative in Nigeria in 2022,[16][17] and Psyonix, for whom he produced cinematic key art for Rocket League.[6]
He has also worked with fashion and lifestyle brands including Severe Nature and Chocolate City on streetwear capsules and art direction.[6]
Exhibitions
Solo exhibitions
2025: "The Wedding" – Lagos, Nigeria. Held December 13–19, 2025, at Lekki Phase 1. His largest exhibition to date, featuring portraits, sculptures, and a central dinner scene exploring themes of love, family, and grief. The collection began with The Bridesmaid, which garnered over 10 million views on social media.[18]
2023: "There Is a Country" – Toured Lagos, Abuja, London, and New York. The exhibition explored Nigeria's history and trauma through portraiture and layered symbolism.[19][20]
2022: "Becoming" – Abuja, Nigeria. A month-long exhibition at the Discovery Museum in the Art-Tech District.[21]
2021: "Homecoming" – Lagos, Nigeria. His first solo exhibition, featuring 36 digital artworks. Described as Nigeria's biggest solo exhibition by a digital artist at the time.[13]
2021: "Red" – Lagos, Nigeria
Group exhibitions
2023: "How High The Moon" – New York, USA
2023: "Unfolding States" – Group exhibition featuring contemporary African artists[19]
2022–2023: Afrodigital (Volumes I, II, and III) – SuperRare
2022: Liveart Showcase – Lagos, Nigeria
2022: Coinprofile Showcase – Lagos, Nigeria
Institutional recognition
Azekwoh's painting No Victor No Vanquished became the first digital artwork acquired by the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art in Nigeria.[3]
Philanthropy
Following his success with NFTs, Azekwoh established the Anthony Azekwoh Fund (also known as the Rosemary Fund), pledging 10% of his sales to support emerging artists in Nigeria.[13][22] Inspired by his own early struggles and the lack of institutional support for young artists, the fund provides grants to help nurture the next generation of Nigerian creatives.[9]
In late 2021, he also initiated an alumni art prize at Whitesands School, his former secondary school, to reward exemplary students in the arts.[13]
Awards and recognition
2017: Awele Trust Prize (for the short story "The Fall of the Gods")[3]
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