Nebolisa Kelly Chieloka was born in 1998, he is a self-taught Nigerian artist, born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. He specializes in a genre of art known as hyperrealism. A graduate of Chemical Engineering from the University of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State. From as early as he could remember, Nebolisa Kelly began drawing at a very young age, he started off by drawing his favourite cartoon characters and eventually matured into a full-time artist exploring the use of charcoal, graphite pencil, pastel, prints and acrylic on paper/canvas.
He is best known for his realistic life-size portraits mostly of young people, relating to matters of mental health, love, and social and political activism. He is known for the emotion his art evokes in the viewer and often time he applies Engineering formulas in his artworks which further explains the unique concept behind his art. He believes that there is a strong relationship between science and art, he often says ‘Even Science is a work of Art’. The hyper-realistic artist sets out to arouse relatable feelings and always passes a societal judgment on what should be. He’s always keen to deliver a message through his art. He works mostly with reference images and through his imagination.
Nebolisa Kelly is currently based in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria and has participated in a group exhibition titled Talented Individual Art Festival, Portharcout Nigeria (2020). “I’m inspired by young people, the fun, the challenges, the struggles and the ups and lows that come as a result of being part of this present generation. I always want to arouse relatable feelings in my viewers and be intentional about passing a societal judgment on what should be and what is not . This inspired God’s Engineering series, the urge to direct people from the usual lifestyle they know to how God really engineered it to be. It’s a series of Enlightenment and revelations of God’s mind,” says Nebolisa Kelly Chieloka.
“I’m inspired by young people, the fun, the challenges, the struggles and the ups and lows that come as a result of being part of this present generation,” says Nebolisa