Ibi Meier-Oruitemeka (IMO) currently resides in a small seaside town in Sussex with her partner and two children. Earlier this year, she woke up with a new creative calling—painting. After sharing her work online, within a week, her paintings had sold out, leading to the launch of Studio IMO.

Art is a new endeavour for Ibi, though she explains she has always felt a deep connection to it “I’ve always loved drawing as a way to process my feelings and emotions,” she says. Until recently her focus was exclusively on monochrome sketches, never experimenting with paint or colour. Now she explores the world of acrylics, incorporating soft hues that ”feels both new and refreshing”.

With her children making art around her, ‘‘I felt inspired by how lost they got in their creativity and how much they enjoyed making art- totally free from restraint, and just seeing them immersed in that flow. I was watching from the side-lines yearning for that same feeling. I just woke up one day and had an overwhelming urge to go and get art supplies.” In a way Ibi has always been creative, it was just a skill that remained dormant whilst figuring out her pace of life. ‘’My first attempt didn’t go very well at all, but I woke up the next day and thought I’d give it another go- so far it’s going well and so far people seem to be really loving my work.’’

Ibi explains that she is drawn to colours that feel as she describes them ‘‘nurturing and soft but with a slight edge’’ – choosing colour by the feeling it brings. While she navigates colour with emotion, she draws inspiration from hues that feel jarring to her. By softening their sharpness and transforming them into something more inviting and personal. ”I can’t really describe my style of art, it’s just influenced by what feels right… I work with the thought that if I had to live with a piece of art- how would it make me feel.’’

A lot of Ibi’s work embodies Black identity. ‘‘Earlier this year my children asked me about their heritage—being of mixed background, my Nigerian roots felt somewhat in the background. I wanted to find art that represented that part of them, but as I searched, I noticed that so much of Black Art seems to carry a sense of tragedy or traumatic undertones. Whilst I can appreciate the work for what it is, you run the risk, as a Black artist, of falling into that cliché. I sought a softer story.’’ Ibi explains it wasn’t a highly conscious decision to use Black subjects in her work—it just felt right, to bring forward a gentler, more nuanced narrative of her identity.

Ibi grew up in Manchester, then moved to London, and later to Stockholm, where life moved slower. ‘’There I had an upsurge in my creativity as I had the time and headspace to. But after time I started to feel restless, and miss the buzz of London. But after moving back to London for a while I started to crave that stillness again, and we found this seaside town really worked for us, and we haven’t looked back since.’’ When asking about the inspiration for her work her surroundings came to focus, ‘’I’d say the town I live in with my family, my space, my home and family are a big inspiration for me.’’

In 2014 Ibi had established a hugely successful beauty brand ‘The Afro Hair & Skin Co’, “The difficulty that comes with owning a business, is constantly having to keep up with trends, which can become quite tiring” She explains as much as she is still passionate about her brand, she is taking a slight pause, finding a new freedom within the expression of her new path. 

Spoken like a natural artist it is hard to believe that this is a recent endeavour for Ibi. There is a tranquillity within her work, with a strong sense of authenticity, and personality. Her humble demeanour and intelligent insights left an inspiring lasting impression, much like her captivating pieces.

Interviewed by Molly Mcculloch

17.10.24