Marcia Kure

Marcia Kure (born 1970) is a Nigerian visual artist known for her mixed media paintings and drawings that explore themes of identity, history, and the lasting effects of colonialism. Trained at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, her work often incorporates imagery of veiled women and references to fashion and textiles, and frequently addresses gender and political themes. She trained at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka under Obiora Udechukwu, graduating in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts in painting.

Professional career and work Kure's early work focused on political violence and the agency of women in patriarchal society. An example of this period is her series History of Africa by Fela (2001-2003), which consists of 59 panels executed in ink, kolanut pigment, and pencil on paper. Her later work is concerned with themes related to motherhood, haute couture (exclusive, custom-made) fashion, hip-hop aesthetics, and her experience of expatriation. The Purdy Hicks Gallery describes Kure's style as having strong links to contemporary uli, a graphic-intensive art tradition of Igbo women of eastern Nigeria that is characterized by linear forms and minimal use of color. She often incorporates traditional African pigments, including kola nut and coffee. She revisits this imagery often, incorporating textiles to examine relationships between gender and power.

In a 2015 interview for ARTCTUALITE, Kure described her interest in working between opposing ideas and perspectives, stating: "I prefer the gray area that deals directly with oppositions and juxtapositions. [...] I think the assimilation of western forms and techniques in my work allows me to integrate and interpret the world through a prismatic lens much better than one who has a singular view."

Kure is represented by Susan Inglett Gallery (New York), Purdy Hicks Gallery (London) and Officine Dell'Immagine (Milan). She first exhibited her work in a New York group show at the Skoto Gallery in 1995. She has also been in the 1997 exhibition Cross/ing: Time • Space • Movement, curated by Olu Oguibe, which showcased contemporary African artists working internationally.

Kure's work has been exhibited internationally across Southwest Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa. She has participated in international art events including the 2005 Sharjah International Biennial, the 2006 International Biennial of Contemporary Art in Seville (curated by Okwui Enwezor), and La Triennial in 2013. Centre Pompidou,

From January to March 2014, Kure was artist-in-residence at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Later, she received the Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship from the Smithsonian Institution and a Program Puffin Grant for the Burqua as Shelter sculpture from The Puffin Foundation (2007–2008).