Onome Otite is a London-based artist. Her life-size collages explore costume in contemporary circus, in particular the performers clothing in Cirque Du Soleil and Cirque Nouveau, where costume plays an integral part to the theme and storyline of the performance. Onome also studied how the performers interact with their costume to convey narrative to the audience. These new works reference the theatrical, character-driven approach of storytelling and like contemporary circus, aims to draw the audience into the performance.
Influenced by traditional West African textiles, the use of wax print fabric – colourful cotton cloth, (Batik printed) pays homage to both the artist’s Nigerian ancestry and the colour and design patterns of contemporary circus costume. Fabrics with similar shapes and motifs were sourced in London and Ghana. The vibrancy of the textiles lends itself well to the collages’ buoyant circus theme.
Onome received a BA Hons Degree in Film and Video from London College of Communication and has participated in seven group shows and two solo shows in Europe and Canada. She works with mixed materials to produce distinctive, three-dimensional, figurative artworks. Borrowing from dance, fashion and world cultures, her hand drawn figures are decorated with textiles and recycled materials manipulated by hand.
Awardee of the Cockpit Art’s | Prince’s Trust Creative Careers and the Evening Standard ‘Progress 1000’ Mentorship Programme, Onome has built her profile exhibiting and selling in specialised art and craft markets in the UK. She has also reached an international audience through art residencies and exhibitions, mentoring from the British Fashion Council and participating in the British Council Cultural Exchange Programme in Accra, Ghana.