DFN Projects is pleased to present Memories of an Undocumented Past, the debut solo exhibition by Chinedu Victor, curated by global art dealer John Wesley.
NEW YORK, CA, UNITED STATES, March 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- DFN Projects presents Memories of an Undocumented Past, the debut solo exhibition by Lagos-born, Los Angeles-based artist Chinedu Victor, on view March 9–27, 2026, at DFN Projects in Midtown Manhattan. Curated by John Wesley, the exhibition opened with a reception on March 11 and continues through March 27, 2026.The exhibition brings together a new body of paintings that considers childhood as an active and imaginative construction rather than a fixed historical record. Raised in Nigeria with few surviving photographs from his early life, Victor approaches painting as a way of filling the emotional and visual gaps left by an absent physical and digital archive. Rather than pursuing documentary precision, these portraits prioritize emotional truth.
Through emotionally charged contemporary portraiture, Victor reconstructs personal and collective histories that were never formally recorded. His paintings explore memory, displacement, intimacy, and identity, translating lived experience into vivid figurative compositions marked by rich color, layered texture, and psychological depth.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Victor moved to the United States as a teenager on a sports scholarship. A series of injuries redirected him from athletics toward art, where he developed a studio practice that ultimately led him to the New York Academy of Art. His work has since gained recognition for its ability to merge autobiographical narrative with broader cultural reflection.
Memories of an Undocumented Past focuses on moments that exist outside official archives: childhood recollections, family stories, private emotional realities, and scenes shaped by migration and distance. Rather than documenting memory literally, Victor paints its emotional force—fragmented, intimate, and deeply human.
The exhibition marks a significant milestone in Victor’s career, positioning him among a rising generation of contemporary figurative painters expanding how personal history and Black experience are represented in painting today.
Exhibition Details
- Title: Memories of an Undocumented Past
- Artist: Chinedu Victor
- Curator: John Wesley
- Venue: DFN Projects
- Address: 41 East 57th Street, 11th Floor (Corner of Madison Ave), New York, NY
- Dates: March 9–27, 2026
About Chinedu Victor Uyaelunmo
Chinedu Victor Uyaelunmo is a Los Angeles-based artist born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. Working primarily in oil and acrylic, he creates contemporary portraiture that explores memory, intimacy, identity, and Black cultural experience through saturated color, layered texture, and emotionally charged compositions.Victor moved to the United States at fourteen on a sports scholarship. While basketball initially shaped his path, painting became central to his life in college, where he began building a serious studio practice. He later earned his MFA from the New York Academy of Art, refining a body of work rooted in emotional presence and personal narrative.
His work has been exhibited at the New York Academy of Art, Tribeca Ball, Baltimore County Arts Guild, and in multiple group exhibitions. His paintings are held in private collections, including those of Steve Wilson of 21c Museum Hotels, Chris Wilson, and Geoffroy van Raemdonck, CEO of Neiman Marcus. Across his practice, Victor uses portraiture to preserve overlooked stories and give lasting form to lived experience. Learn more about Chinedu and his art: https://www.artbychinedu.com/paintings and the exhibition here: https://ctlg.art/.
John Wesley
DFN Projects NYC
info@ctlg.art
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