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 an engagement with diverse media, allowing them to exist in multiple contexts and be a part of daily life.
Akpokiere's current long-term project, An Alternative History of Symbols and Their Meaning, reimagines 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 work explores themes of 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).
Akpokiere continues to blur the boundaries between art and design, maintaining a practice that is both dynamic and ever-evolving.
Karo Akpokiere lives and works in Hamburg, Germany.

For a detailed exhibition, work, and publication history, please click CV

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