Ezechukwu C.G “Blu” : Between Reality and Relief

Ezechukwu C.G “Blu”, is a Nigerian visual artist whose work lives at the intersection of vulnerability and escape. Through soft, introspective imagery, she explores the realities of mental illness, the quiet strength of coping mechanisms, and the comfort of daydreams. Her illustrations are both tender and raw, offering a visual language for emotions that are often left unspoken. Ezechukwu’s art invites viewers to pause, reflect, and maybe even find themselves in the spaces between the lines.

How did You Begin Making Visual Art?

I don't remember how or when I started making visual art, I was a hyperactive child and I tried everything available to me, I have always drawn, I have always made things and created based on the materials available to me. I am also from a creative family, so I was introduced to drawing, printing (the family business) and photography very early.

What Personal or Cultural Experiences Influence Your Creative Voice most?

My works are inspired by my personal experiences, struggles with being neurodivergent, and my observation of how people cope with the world around them.

Your Work Speaks to Radical Self‐acceptance, what does that Mean to You and how Do You Express it Visually?

Radical self-acceptance for me, is about letting your mind just be as it is, allowing it to daydreams and be distracted. My paintings try to capture that feeling when you’re lost in thought, reality blurs and there’s no pressure to "snap out of it." The figures in my work often seem paused, like they’re mid-thought, because that’s how self-acceptance feels to me: not forcing clarity, just existing in the in between.

I want people to look at my work and feel that same permission to drift, to not have all the answers, and to be okay with that. It’s less about fixing your inner world and more about giving it room to breathe.

How do You Balance Vulnerability and Strength in Your Art Practice?

Painting about deeply personal subjects is challenging for several reasons. First, every artwork initiates a conversation one that demands your full engagement to explore honestly. Second, delving into your own experiences requires vulnerability, forcing you to confront buried emotions and re-examine them under a new light. To do this effectively, you must practice self-acceptance. Only by setting aside self-judgment can you authentically express yourself through your art.

How would You Describe the Emotional or Color Language You Use in Your Illustrations?

The colors I use in my paintings are colors I associate with dreaming. With my colours, I try to represent a calm environment to suggest a mind at ease with its own wandering.

Do you Tell Ongoing Narratives in Your Work, or Focus More on Snapshots of Feeling?

I do both. Some paintings are one-offs and might represent what I feel around the time the painting is made, while other paintings are part of an ongoing series and have the same theme.

What Kinds of Emotional or Social Responses do You Hope Your Art will Inspire in Others?

I hope my art will start conversations. A lot of times people have feelings they have no name for, or people think their emotions and experiences with being neurodivergent are peculiar to them. If we were having more of this conversation, not just the surface-level conversations about mental illness but deeper conversations about symptoms and coping mechanisms, we might develop, like maladaptive daydreaming or isolation due to anxiety. We might help both the people dealing with these symptoms and those around them.

Have You Collaborated With or Inspired other Artists around Themes of Identity or Belonging?

I haven't had these collaborations yet, but I am looking forward to them.

Do You See Your Art as a Form of Therapy, Advocacy, or simply self-expression or all three?

My art is a form of therapy for me and a medium of self-expression. As for advocacy, my art will be interpreted differently from person to person. And I can't really control what they take out of it.

How do You Protect Your Own Mental Health while Creating from Such Personal Places?

The only way to protect my mental health while creating from a personal space would be not to paint at all. So yes, sometimes I make paintings without meaning. I just paint without any message to pass, just to clear my head. And as controversial as it might sound, sometimes staying sane is keeping some of my works away from social media, It helps.

In what Ways has Your Work Evolved Since You Started?

My work has changed a lot over the years. From painting about popular themes and painting what I felt people wanted to see to painting solely about topics I can relate to and I can feel deeply. And my works evolve everyday, I am constantly thinking and experimenting. Art is not static and just like life, it evolves and grows.

What New Ideas, Formats, or Themes are You Excited to Explore Next?

I have been writing new poetry, asking more questions and experimenting with materials, trying to find the best way to talk about anxiety. I am excited to put it all together, find a balance with it and start putting out new works around the theme of anxiety.

What do You want Someone Going through a Hard Time to Feel when they See Your Work?

It doesn't really help to tell people going through a hard time that their experience is not peculiar to them, because in a lot of little ways, it is particular to them. But it is important to them to see representation of their experiences, it gives them nuances and helps them process their experience.So yes, I want people to feel seen when they look at my work.