Downtown Los Angeles’ Corey Helford Gallery (CHG) is proud to announce its next major exhibition by world-renowned Nigerian hyper-realist artists Arinze Stanley and Oscar Ukonu, titled The Weight of Us, set to debut October 11th in the Main Gallery.
A duo exhibition featuring 12 new works from Stanley and 13 new works from Okonu alongside each other, The Weight of Us brings together these visionary artists in an intricate dialogue, exploring the depths of shared humanity, emotional interconnectedness, and the complex interplay of individual and collective narratives.
'Idia's Crown Braid' (ballpoint pen on paper, 24 in x 20 in) by Oscar Ukonu
'Brother's Keeper' (charcoal, graphite, pastel, color pencils and acrylic on paper, 18 in x 18 in) by Arinze Stanley
Stanley’s hyper-realistic mixed media charcoal drawings convey profound intimacy, vulnerability, and strength. His intricate portraits offer unflinching yet compassionate examinations of emotional bonds, gestures of care, protection, and the quiet dignity of introspection. The artist’s work has been profiled by CNN’s award-winning Great Big Story, BBC News, VICE, Forbes, Juxtapoz, and Colossal, among others.
Ukonu’s intricate ballpoint pen drawings (taking 200 to 400 hours to complete) command the viewer’s attention with striking monochromatic blue hues, emphasizing sociocultural dialogues around collective identity, information, and existential interconnectedness. The artist’s work intricately dissects how media narratives, historical context, and contemporary sociopolitical currents shape perceptions of the self and community. Ukonu's work has been exhibited internationally, and he’s completed commissions for institutions such as UNICEF and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, creating the official campaign art for the 2022 Oscars.
In conversation, Stanley’s and Ukonu’s works illuminate the intricacies of the human condition from complementary vantage points. Their art serves as a profound meditation on emotional and social dynamics, seamlessly bridging personal narratives with broader collective experiences. The Weight of Us invites viewers to a moment of reflection—a space where personal introspection and societal commentary intersect, emphasizing that our shared stories, burdens, hopes, and dreams define us as much as they connect us.
'I'll Love You From Here' (ballpoint pen on paper, 48 in x 36 in) by Oscar Ukonu
Amidst a world fraught with division, The Weight of Us is an act of reclamation: an invitation to pause, to look, and truly see. It is here that the weight of our individual and collective stories becomes, paradoxically, a source of beauty and hope. This exhibition affirms art’s enduring capacity to bridge divides, to illuminate common ground, and to hold space for the tender, unyielding essence of our shared humanity. Both artists have started sharing work-in-progress videos (watch here and here), providing a sneak peek into some of their new works featured in the upcoming show.
'Reborn' (charcoal, graphite, pastel and acrylic on paper, 40 in x 40 in) by Arinze Stanley
Open to the public and free to attend, The Weight of Us is set to debut on Saturday, October 11th from 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm in the Main Gallery, alongside a solo show by Japanese artist aica, titled Where Petals Dance, in Gallery 2 and a solo show by Latvia-born artist Jana Brike, titled When I Was a River, in Gallery 3. All shows will be on view at CHG through November 15th.
'Anchor' (charcoal, graphite, pastel, color pencils and acrylic on paper, 41.25 in x 29.25 in) by Arinze Stanley
'Inside Outside' (charcoal, graphite, pastel, color pencils and acrylic on paper, 30 in x 30 in) by Arinze Stanley
About Arinze Stanley:
Arinze Stanley Egbengwu (b. 1993, Lagos) is a Nigerian artist whose practice is centered on drawing and painting, with a focus on hyper-realistic portraiture. He began making art in childhood, often working with paper from his family’s business, and later studied agricultural engineering at Imo State University. This combination of early passion and academic training shaped the careful and structured methods he now applies in his studio.
Guided by the three P’s: patience, practice, and persistence, Stanley creates large-scale portraits on paper and canvas. He fuses charcoal, graphite, pastel, and colored pencil with acrylic and paints with oil, using experimentation to push a mixed media language that broadens his narrative voice.
He is the founder of The Pond Studio in Lagos, Nigeria, a creative workspace and residency he established to support younger artists and encourage exchange within the local art community. Stanley’s debut group show was held in Nigeria in 2016 and since then, he has exhibited around the world (including all around the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Denmark), as well as in museums (including at the European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM) in Barcelona) and at notable art fairs (including Art Miami, SCOPE Art Show, and 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair). Plus, the artist’s work has been profiled by CNN’s Emmy and Cannes Lions-winning global media company Great Big Story, BBC News, VICE, HuffPost, Forbes, Juxtapoz, Colossal, and Afropunk, among many others.
About Oscar Ukonu:
Oscar Ukonu (b. 1993) is a visual artist living and working in Lagos, Nigeria. With a background in architecture, Ukonu's distinctive portraiture investigates the complexities of African identity through cultural, psychological, and sociopolitical lenses. Drawing on personal experience and historical references, Ukonu explores how contemporary identities are shaped by media, technology, and shifting cultural narratives.
Ukonu's work is represented in significant private and institutional collections in Nigeria and internationally, and has been featured in exhibitions such as Insanity (Omenka Gallery, Lagos, 2016), Nigeria 5 (Corridor Contemporary, Tel Aviv, 2021), Souls and Spirits (Voltz Clarke Gallery, New York, 2022), and Mirrors of Our Time (Alexis Gallery, Lagos, 2024). He has also completed commissions for institutions (including UNICEF and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, creating the official campaign art for the 2022 Oscars).
'Bare Hands 1' (ballpoint pen on paper, 15 in x 10 in) by Oscar Ukonu
About Corey Helford Gallery:
Established in 2006 by Jan Corey Helford and her husband, television producer/creator Bruce Helford (The Conners, Lopez vs. Lopez, Anger Management, The Drew Carey Show, and George Lopez), Corey Helford Gallery (CHG) has since evolved into one of the premier galleries of New Contemporary art. Its goal as an institution is to support the growth of artists, from the young and emerging to the well-known and internationally established. CHG represents a diverse collection of international artists, primarily influenced by today's pop culture and collectively encompassing style genres such as New Figurative Art, Pop Surrealism, Neo Pop, Graffiti, and Street Art. Located in downtown Los Angeles (571 S. Anderson St. Los Angeles, CA 90033) in a robust 12,000-square-foot building, CHG presents new exhibitions approximately every six weeks. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm. For more information, visit CoreyHelfordGallery.com
All photos courtesy and copyright the artists, published with permission