House Tour #14, June 2025
Art viewing
Sustainable Aesthetics: The Textile Work Oyele by Nnenna Okore
As part of our June edition of HOUSE TOUR, we present a remarkable artwork by Nnenna Okore, included in the current exhibition FOUNDATIONS, which is on view until July 25.
The work of Nigerian-Australian artist Nnenna Okore is characterized by a material-conscious approach and an engagement with ecological questions. In her art, Okore explores the complex relationship between humans, nature, and materiality. As a professor at North Park University in Chicago, she also operates within the dynamic intersection of art, research, and education.
Photo top: © Michael Lüder, Nnenna Okore, installation view Oyele, FOUNDATIONS at Haus Kunst Mitte
Photos below: © HKM-Team, Nnenna Okore, detailed view of Oyele
One of her central pieces in the exhibition is Oyele. The form of this work recalls a floral or coral-like structure. Irregular edges and sprawling growth patterns give the piece a vivid presence, as though it were expanding or subtly moving.
This textile wall installation is composed of an open, ring-shaped structure made from loosely intertwined and partially unraveled yarns and fibers. The combination of red hues, deep blue, forest green, along with accents of frog green and pink, creates a color palette that evokes plant-based, bioplastic, and organic forms. The fibers are processed with varying density: some sections appear compact and structured, while others are open and net-like. This variation results in a layered overall impression that invites tactile exploration.
Oyele is part of a series of textile installations through which Okore continues her exploration of natural resources, artisanal techniques, and sustainable materials. Her artistic practice is deeply inspired by her surroundings and merges aesthetic sensibility with ecological responsibility. At the heart of her work is the use of biodegradable materials. Her art invites viewers to understand sustainability as a creative principle and demonstrates how art can be both sensually engaging and environmentally conscious.