Fidelis Joseph’s paintings reflect a personal history marked by pain and love, including separation from his native village, the loss of his father at a young age, and his brother’s long service in the Nigerian army, fighting against Boko Haram. The distortion in his subject matter echoes the emotional interplay of familial pride and fear of loss.
Joseph was a recent studio fellow at NXTHVN. In 2023, he earned his MFA in painting from Cranbrook Academy of Art, where he won the Cranbrook Museum Purchase Prize. In 2017, he graduated with a BFA from the esteemed Zaria Art School in Nigeria, where he received the Artist of the Year award and co-created a mural displayed on campus.