October Spotlight Artists: Hopex John, Leonard Baloyi, and Chidimma Urunwa

This October, THE.CCART turns its attention to artists whose work delves into the quiet, often unspoken layers of lived experience. Hopex John, Leonard Baloyi, and Chidimma Urunwa each approach portraiture as a form of storytelling, whether through hyperreal precision, textured emotion, or layered symbolism. Their practices examine how identity is shaped not just by what is seen, but by what is felt, remembered, and carried.

Hopex John: Capturing African Narratives Through Hyperrealism

Hopex John is a Nigerian hyperrealism artist whose portraits illuminate African identity through depth, precision and emotional resonance. Working primarily with paper, charcoal and colour, he captures the essence of everyday people and moments, transforming realism into a language of empathy and reflection.

Entirely self-taught, Hopex began drawing as a child, using art as a way to express imagination and connect with the world around him. His practice is rooted in conversation and observation, finding inspiration in human interaction and the subtleties of expression. Through each portrait, he seeks to honour the individuality of his subjects while exploring broader sociocultural themes that shape contemporary African life.

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Leonard Baloyi: Painting Emotional and Psychological Depth

Leonard Baloyi, a South African visual artist, creates expressive portraits that explore the emotional and psychological weight of everyday life. Working with oil, acrylic, pastel, and charcoal, his textured figurative works reflect on themes of identity, vulnerability, and the quiet erosion of empathy.

Raised in Soweto, Baloyi draws from personal memories, books, and music to build layered scenes filled with stillness and introspection. His figures often occupy moments of inner tension, rendered through surfaces that mirror the complexity of emotion. Baloyi’s art opens a space for viewers to engage with emotional nuance and reflect on the ways we relate to ourselves and others.

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Chidimma Urunwa: Exploring Womanhood Through Symbol and Story

Chidimma Urunwa Ikegwuonu, a Nigerian artist based in Manchester, works with oil and mixed media to unravel layered narratives of womanhood, identity, and transformation. Her practice blends figuration with symbolism and botanical imagery, drawing from Igbo traditions, myth, and lived experiences of displacement and resilience.

Colour and texture carry emotional weight in her work, with each canvas acting as both archive and act of renewal. Through her richly layered paintings, Urunwa challenges conventional ideas of femininity while holding space for reflection, healing, and the quiet strength of women’s lived stories.

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This October, explore the powerful works of Hopex John, Leonard Baloyi, and Chidimma Urunwa. Through hyperrealism, expressive brushwork, and symbolic storytelling, these artists use portraiture as a means to preserve emotion, challenge perception, and connect with deeper truths.

By THE.CCART