“THE WEIGHT OF US” ARINZE STANLEY & OSCAR UKONU

In the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, Corey Helford Gallery (CHG) unveils its latest exhibition, The Weight of Us, a mesmerizing visual dialogue between two of Nigeria’s most compelling contemporary artists—Arinze Stanley and Oscar Ukonu. Opening October 11th, this dual showcase is an arresting meditation on humanity’s emotional architecture, inviting viewers to experience both personal and collective vulnerability through hyperrealist precision.

A Conversation Between Realism and Reflection

Both artists have long commanded global attention for their breathtaking technique and depth of narrative. Yet here, side by side, their works transcend aesthetic mastery—becoming a meditation on empathy, identity, and the silent power of connection.

Arinze Stanley’s mixed-media charcoal portraits draw the viewer into moments of profound intimacy. Each stroke of graphite and pigment captures the trembling stillness between strength and surrender. Figures intertwine, eyes are shielded, arms protect—his compositions quietly echo the unspoken weight of love, protection, and emotional endurance. The tension between monochrome stillness and bursts of saturated realism heightens his message: vulnerability is not weakness but the most courageous form of truth.

Oscar Ukonu’s Blue Frequency

In contrast, Oscar Ukonu’s monochromatic ballpoint pen works radiate an almost electric intensity. His signature blue hues pulse with inquiry—each piece mapping the intricate psychology of collective consciousness. Works such as Headcount, I’ll Take My Chances, and Coronation dissect how culture, media, and history shape the human narrative. Through the meticulous layering of ink, Ukonu reconstructs identity itself—revealing how perception and belonging are continually rewritten by the information that defines us.

Ukonu’s precision invites contemplation of the modern condition: our sense of self suspended between individuality and the echo of society’s gaze. His art hums with a quiet urgency, reminding us that collective identity is both a mirror and a mask.

Shared Stories, Intertwined Truths

Placed in dialogue, Stanley and Ukonu’s works form an emotional continuum—each artist amplifying the other’s voice. Stanley’s tenderness meets Ukonu’s critique; charcoal embraces ink. Their union becomes a study in balance: the internal versus the external, the personal versus the political, the emotional versus the intellectual.

The Weight of Us is not merely an exhibition—it’s a mirror. It asks us to look closely, to see ourselves in others, and to acknowledge that the “weight” we carry—our histories, expectations, and hopes—is what ultimately connects us.

The Art of Collective Healing

At a time when global discourse feels fractured, The Weight of Us feels profoundly restorative. Stanley and Ukonu remind us that art can still bridge the distances between us. Each portrait, each gaze, each shadowed line becomes an act of reclamation—an insistence that empathy remains our most radical form of resistance.

CHG’s curatorial direction situates this exhibition not only as a testament to the artists’ technical mastery but as a statement on the role of contemporary African art in reshaping global conversations about identity, representation, and belonging.

A Poetic Pause

In The Weight of Us, beauty and burden coexist. The exhibition lingers long after viewing—like the trace of a heartbeat or the afterimage of light. It is both a reckoning and a release, inviting the audience to feel rather than merely see.

Through Stanley and Ukonu’s lenses, we recognize that art’s true power lies not only in its ability to depict reality but to transform it—to remind us that beneath the surface, our stories are more intertwined than we ever imagined.

The Weight of Us
Featuring Arinze Stanley and Oscar Ukonu
Corey Helford Gallery, Downtown Los Angeles
Opening: October 11, 2025