DEPARTMENT OF FINE ARTS AND DESIGN
Dr. Chile A. Oparaocha
Dr. Chile A. Oparaocha is an academic, who is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Fine Arts and Design, Faculty of Humanities, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. A meticulous academic and professional with strong interpersonal communication and creative thinking abilities. He has practiced sculpture and taught same at both the undergraduate and Graduate levels at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. He holds a Ph.D in Sculpture from Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, MFA Degree in Sculpture from the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State Nigeria and a B.A Degree from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Dr Chile Oparaocha has over forty academic publications and Exhibitions in his name, where he is lead author and had equally collaborated and co-authored with others at both National and International levels. Dr. Chile Oparaocha ‘s research concerns has led to collaborative researches with the Departments of Human Anatomy and Engineering for the production of human. He is a sculptor and Painter who has interest in Curatorial Studies and Anatomical modelling. Dr. Chile Oparaocha ‘s research concerns has led to collaborative researches with the Departments of Human Anatomy.
Ashley Ajumoke Stewart
Ashley Stewart is a multidisciplinary visual artist and educator born in Mexico City, Mexico to Nigerian diplomats and hails from Rivers State. She has garnered many years of exemplary practice as a lecturer at the Department of Fine Arts and Design, University of Port Harcourt with core competence in Design Management and Graphics. Her academic accomplishments include a BA (Hons) in Fine Arts and Design, 2 Diplomas from London Academy of Media, Film and TV and 2 Master’s degrees in International Management obtained in the Loughborough University, UK and Fine Arts and Design in University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria respectively. She is a doctoral student and avid researcher completing her Ph.D in Wayfinding for Multicultural Users in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. She is a British Council StudyUK Alumni Awards Finalist for Culture and Creativity 2022 and Design Management Institute Student Essay Winner, 2022.
Ashley is an accomplished leader and is a Board Member of Arts Council of the African Studies Association (ACASA), International Liaison Officer for International Communication Association (ICA) and Alumni Ambassador, Loughborough University.
John Tokpabere Agberia
John Tokpabere Agberia is an artist, designer, curator and art historian. He is the first Professor of Fine Arts and Design in the University of Port Harcourt and was also the First Head of Department of Fine Arts and Design three consecutive times.
Agberia on graduating in 1983 from the University of Benin, Benin City, began his academic career as a Graduate Assistant at the University of Uyo in 1985. He received an MA in Art history degree from University of Ibadan in 1988 and a PhD from the University of Port Harcourt in 1998 with his thesis topic on Art and Religious Symbolism of the Urhobo people. Agberia has received several distinguished
postdoctoral academic scholarship awards from the United Kingdom, which includes the AG Leventis fellowship at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London (1995), Sainsbury Research fellowship award of the Sainsbury Research Unit, University of East Anglia (1997), and the University of Oxford’s Titular fellowship at the Pitt Rivers Museum (2009). At Oxford Pitt Rivers, he worked with Jeremy Coote, the joint Head of collections, where he began studying museums, cultural heritage, and curating. Agberia has attended many world conferences of art and design in London, New York, Oxford, Berlin/Germany and the popular CAA/Getty conference 2018 in Los Angeles California, USA. He is a tenured Professor of Art and Design at the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
