I Am YEG Arts: Diana Ohiozebau

Diana Ohiozebau is a mixed-media visual artist whose work explores themes of resilience, culture, and identity. While incorporating traditional African materials and symbols, she tells universal stories that invite conversation. In this week’s I Am YEG Arts feature Diana tells us more about the visual properties and materials that influence her work, and what it was like for her to create and unveil a brand new mural at NorQuest College. 

Tell us about your connection to Edmonton and why you’ve made it your home and creative base. 

My journey with Edmonton started in 2018. I finished my MFA and after that I moved to Edmonton from Calgary. My husband got a job a full-time position here, so it was a great time to move. Over the course of the years, I also pursued my MA (Master of Arts) and my Bachelor’s degree in Education, both at the University of Alberta. And in all this time, Edmonton has really given me opportunities to show my work, talk about my work, have solo and group workshops, and I’ve also gotten grants from the Edmonton Arts Council, which I’m grateful for. Those grants have helped me to push my work further and express my ideas. 

I really like the diverse opportunities that Edmonton presents not just for professional artists; it also gives mid-level and early emerging artists opportunities to show their works in both small and large scale. And there are a lot of cultural connections and networking happening. You meet one person, and then you get connected with others through that conversation. 

Since moving to Canada, I’ve lived in several different cities, and this has been my longest and the best experience, especially as an artist. 

As a mixed media artist, tell us about the materials that you use in your practice. 

My practice is rooted in using diverse materials to help convey the things that I’m exploring, it could be social themes, identity, culture, or whatever I’m interested in at that time. The materials include acrylics, mixed-media fabrics – I combine a traditional Nigerian fabric called Aso-Oke and I pair that with Ankara fabric. We call it Ankara in Nigeria, but I think it’s generally known as Dutch wax fabric/​prints. They’re very bold, very colourful, and they have very interesting patterns and textures when you put them together. With these textures I embed the underlying story of each piece. In addition to fabric, I also incorporate yarn to create texture, motion and depth. In a way my work is two-dimensional, but at the same time with motion, yarn and the installation technique, it gives it a three-dimensional feel so it becomes like painting, sculpture, and textile art all happening together which I find very intriguing. Over the years this has been my style and practice, and the tactile approach allows for more engagement between the work and the viewers; there’s more interest, more interaction, and motion as you move by. 

You said before that you often incorporate African symbols and explore concepts of resilience and self-care in your work. Can you talk about some of the major themes and narratives you explore in your work and how your cultural background influences the art and the stories that you tell. 

My work is deeply rooted in all these things. I draw from my Nigerian cultural background. I have memories of growing up in Nigeria where there were abundant displays of sculptural pieces and masks. Coming to a different country, you have these moments of nostalgia that make me think back to the time we spent at my grandparent’s place in the countryside where we’d go to cultural events with dances and acrobatic performances, and we’d wear these really colourful masks and regalia. My grandparents also had these interesting sculptural pieces that were both functional and decorative. Looking back and thinking about those interesting artworks, they formed memories that I carried on through my journey to a different country. These masks and sculptures have become elements that have found their way into my work and formed the central visual elements. 

I really love the intriguing forms of African sculptures. The forms are endless. It’s new every time you look at it. Every time you draw something or want to create an expression, it’s always new. By including these forms and symbols in my work, I’m able to tell stories just the way I’m telling you about them now. They ground and enrich my work through history and the cultural significance of the materials themselves, and sometimes what they symbolize. These elements in my work present opportunities for people who don’t have connections to African history, visual cultures and backgrounds. They are able to see these works, learn, and ask questions. It becomes a learning space for me and an opportunity to talk about the visual elements. 

What is your favorite part of the creative process?

When I start a piece, I have an idea, and then I have a sketch. But as I work, the thing I like is the fact that I can intuitively create something new out of that stage in the work, so the work becomes a reference, but not a copy. So in that way, it’s more like the work starts leading me and showing me where to go. But my favorite part is the transition between when it’s not yet there and when it starts looking like it’s all coming together and then adding the final details. It’s in this final moment that the pieces truly come to life, and everything falls into place. This stage feels like a culmination of the entire journey – the textures, colours, and forms begin to communicate with one another and the vision I had in mind (mind you, I said the vision, not the sketch) becomes more tangible. This is something very deeply satisfying. And then refining the detail, enhancing the texture, adding highlights, or even introducing subtle elements that bring depth. This is where I push the boundaries of expression, making small, impactful decisions that can shift the entire mood. These finishing touches feel like punctuation marks, like you’re writing a story and creating a sense of completeness and harmony. By the time I get to that stage I’ve spent a lot of time immersed in the work, and the final layer now feels like a conversation between me and the painting, like a space where I can step back, reflect and see the whole thing. It’s like the middle ground between night and day. It shifts and changes and becomes the thing. 

Tell us about the themes and inspiration for new mural Faces of Belonging in a Shared Journey at NorQuest College and how this opportunity has impacted your career.

The visual properties of the work itself look like four faces that bear resemblance to the sculptural form of Queen Idia. Queen Idia was the mother of Esigie, a king who reigned in the Benin kingdom in Nigeria. The reign with Idia as Queen and her son as King was between 1504 and 1550. She was a very powerful queen and a warrior. She helped to secure and protect the throne and kingship of her son, and she had political prowess and knowledge about traditional medicine, and she saved many lives. There’s a lot of inspiration to draw from with her strength and legacy. Having had that cultural inspiration pulled in, I wanted to express the idea of striving together and uplifting each other, supporting one another to create a sense of unity and inclusion. I happened to be within the space while doing the painting and engaged with the diverse community of NorQuest. It was important for me to create a space that reflects the richness of cultures and experiences that come together in that educational space.

The mural in itself highlights the strengths that come from diversity, individual resilience, and collective thriving. My goal was to create a very colourful and bold visual narrative that forces a sense of belonging and encourages everybody to see themselves as an essential part of the larger learning community.

This is my largest work yet. I’ve done other murals before, but this is the biggest – it is about 35 feet wide and about 18 feet in height. Being that it was the largest, it took a lot of evenings away from my family, since I also have a full-time job during the day as an assistant curator. But they were very understanding and supportive. It was both exciting and pushed me to my boundaries, which is great. I am super proud of what I had created with my hands. I almost couldn’t believe it was actually done. I’m really grateful for the opportunity. In the long run, the project has had a very profound impact on my career, because through it I have learned, and I’ve grown in my ability and confidence to plan and create larger works. I’m excited to create even bigger works! Also being set strategically in the public space, it creates space for engagement with the public and more chances for people to connect with the work and my art practice and the things I do. 

Now that the mural project is completed, tell us what you’re currently working on or what you’re hoping to explore next.

I’m currently exploring more material and textile-based works. I’m working on a series still in the initial stages and I’m looking at using hand stitches and machine stitches primarily. I will be using minimal colour – less pigment and more combinations of different materials to create textures on the surface and see how that goes. I can’t say too much because I’m still working through it. I’m also excited to incorporate a digital art component to it. I’m looking to push the work forward to a more finished stage of development, so I’ll be able to show and tell more of my work.

About Diana Ohoizebau

Diana Ohiozebau was born in Leeds, England and raised in Nigeria. She is a mixed media abstract artist now based in Edmonton, Alberta. Drawing inspiration from her African heritage, Ohiozebau explores themes focused on identity, culture, place and social dynamics in her work. She skillfully combines multiple materials including natural cultural fabrics, synthetic fabrics and acrylics to create visually striking paintings. Ohiozebau’s studio practice and art has been recognized and showcased in prestigious exhibitions accompanied with artist talks throughout Alberta. She has also had solo and group exhibitions in Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatchewan, and in Nigeria. Beyond her studio practice, Ohiozebau creates accessible and inclusive public art installations and murals for public engagement. She believes in the transformative potential of creativity that enriches lives and strengthens communities. Ohiozebau holds a Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) first class honours from Ambrose Alli University, Nigeria, a Master of Fine Art (MFA) from the University of Calgary, a Bachelor’s degree in Education(B.Ed) with distinction and a Master of Arts (M.A) both from the University of Alberta.