Karo Akpokiere’s art practice reflects his interests in drawing and storytelling. Deeply influenced by his graphic design background, he merges everyday experiences and observations to tell stories of personal and political significance. For Akpokiere, every drawing holds a million lives—lives unlocked through collaboration and engagement across media, allowing them to exist in diverse contexts and become integral to daily life.
Akpokiere recently started the long-term project, An Alternative History of Symbols and Their Meaning, which involves using the colors and symbols embedded in the coats of arms of German federal states, cities, towns, and villages. To depict a fictional state grappling with its identity and institutional collapse. The project explores appropriation, production of meaning, reverse ethnology, and fiction’s role in shaping contemporary realities.
His work has been featured in international exhibitions, including the 17th Triennial of Tapestry, Łódź; the 20th Biennial Sesc_Videobrasil, São Paulo; and the 56th Venice Biennale. He has also collaborated with brands such as Moncler (Italy), Nike Europe, Google (San Francisco), and WeTransfer (Amsterdam).
Blurring the boundaries between art and design, Akpokiere’s practice remains a dynamic, ever-evolving exploration.
Karo Akpokiere lives and works in Hamburg, Germany.
For a detailed exhibition, work, and publication history, please click CV
For a detailed exhibition, work, and publication history, please click CV
Photo: Dagmara Wojtanowicz