In this interview, we delve into the world of Naychi a rising star whose art embodies strength, resilience, and beauty. Join us as we explore the inspiration behind exhibits and the emotions she hopes to evoke in viewers.

Bright Colours, Captivating Faces – Naychi’s Exhibition Promises a Visual Feast That Will Leave You Feeling Uplifted and Inspired.
Amaka Naomi Chiazor "Naychi" is a Nigerian-born visual artist, based in Toronto Ontario. She fell in love with art from going to museums in Lagos, at a young age. She has always loved art and design and its incorporation into everyday life and objects. She received a Bachelor's in Humanities from York University and a Diploma from Toronto Film school.
She believes strongly in collaboration and creating pieces that elevate characters by building and revealing visually evocative worlds. Working in oils, acrylic and ink, she uses rich tones in oil that help create visually evocative characters, that push the notions of realism. She loves to explore the blend between traditional materials and techniques with contemporary themes. Amaka aims to popularize the depiction of black women in fine art and more artistic spaces.
How did you become an artist?
My love for art started at a very young age, I started off sketching with these colored pencils my mom got me for my 5th birthday. I used to go to museums as a child and I would imagine one of my pieces hanging up there. And then it just blossomed into something I became passionate about. although I was not allowed to major in Art at university, I took a few art courses and I thoroughly enjoyed them.
Can you share a particular moment or experience that significantly impacted your artistic journey?
As a child, I used to go to many museums and excursions. One of those trips that significantly impacted me was a trip to the Benin Museum in Edo State. I was completely moved by all the pieces, especially the bronzed sculpture, this trip completely changed my view of art for the better.

What inspired Diadem?
A bunch of different things inspired Diadem, I created it when I was dealing with a lot of mental health issues, and as cliché as it sounds it helped me come out of it. Diadem stems from my love for the human face, as I believe it's one of the organs that best helps convey many emotions. I love the idea of capturing one's essence but still keeping the face anonymous and vague.
What emotions or thoughts do you hope to evoke in viewers of your work?
I want the use of bright colors to create some kind of euphoric feeling and also trigger feelings of happiness and joy within themselves. But also being drawn back to the anonymity of the face. at the end of the day, I want the viewers to take whatever they can from this piece.
How do you feel about exhibiting your work? What does this exhibition mean to you?
There’s always this ball of nerves that comes with people seeing and consuming your work, but not all nerves are bad. I'm very excited to be showing my work and this exhibition is something I’ve been looking forward to. I love its theme and what it represents to us as women.
Are there any particular pieces in this exhibition that hold special significance to
you and why?
Diadem holds a special place in my heart, as it was created during a period in my life that I felt a sense of peace. I used bold colors in creating Diadem and also incorporated my love for textures in her hair, I was inspired by the beauty and uniqueness of black women.
What should our guests be most excited to see in your exhibition?
Guests should be excited to see “Diadem” and I can’t wait to talk about it. I'm very excited and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone’s work and discussing the process behind them.
What advice would you give to aspiring artists?
I would say try not to listen to the noise that comes with this career, as there’ll always be overtly critical naysayers. Just stick to doing what to do which is creating and take enough time to yourself too.
Lastly, How do you relate to the word "sis"?
The word sis means an ally, a person or people who understands, enables and encourages me. It’s someone who supports me in life’s biggest or smallest moments, someone who I share the most significant and silly things with. Someone who you can enjoy both the most exciting moments and be in complete silence with.
Ọ̀KẸ́ is on a mission to unveil cultural riches, showcasing our similarities and experiences in each exhibition. Find out more about Hey Sis.
Hey Sis... is supported by STACKT and RADRCanada.
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