Dozie Kanu

Dozie Kanu (born 1993 in Houston, Texas) is a Nigerian-American artist who currently lives and works in Santarém, Portugal. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from the School of Visual Arts in New York in 2016 and later participated in the Maumaus Independent Study Program in Lisbon in 2022. Kanu's practice operates at the intersection of form and function, expanding the space between art and design. Working with reused materials and found objects, he constructs a personal visual language shaped by autobiography, references to pop culture, and the broader material histories of the African diaspora. His sculptures and installations, while resisting fixed categories, frequently draw on utilitarian or domestic structures and exist simultaneously as functional, communicative, and performative objects. Kanu's work has been presented in a wide range of exhibition contexts, including galleries and major art institutions.