Rest, Connection, and Craft: Graphic Artist Urechi Oguguo

Urechi Oguguo is an artist who invites us to slow down. Based in Brooklyn but rooted in Lagos, Nigeria, Urechi moves fluidly between digital illustration, textile craft, architectural design, and storytelling—each medium offering a space to explore care, rest, and joy through the lens of Black identity and other marginalized experiences.

At the heart of her work is a commitment to thoughtful, inclusive design. Her visuals, often bright and meditative, radiate a sense of grounding. Whether it’s a digital piece celebrating Black joy or a hand-crafted object made in community, Urechi’s creations ask: What does it look like to be seen? What does it feel like to be held by a space, an image, or a community?

Urechi’s design journey began at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she earned her Bachelor’s in Architecture. It was there she first discovered the intimate link between how we build our spaces and how we experience the world. That connection deepened during her Master of Architecture studies at Columbia University, where she received the Lucille Smyser Lowenfish Memorial Prize for her innovative, human-centered approach to design.

Her architectural background is evident in her multidisciplinary practice. Each project—whether a digital artwork, a textile piece, or a user-centered interface—carries the same intention: to hold space for care, to center community, and to imagine worlds that nourish.

Beyond her personal practice, Urechi is a community builder. She is the founder of Make Space, a gathering place for artists and makers of all skill levels. Through workshops, creative sessions, and intentional conversation, Make Space offers a tactile counterpoint to our digital lives. It’s a reminder that there is value in making things slowly, together, by hand.

This ethos of community and co-creation extends to her role as a Board Director at Ubuntu Education, where she works to decolonize architectural education and advocate for equity-driven design.

Crafting the Future: Digital and Physical Worlds Intertwined

Urechi’s practice lives at the intersection of technology and tradition. She seamlessly blends physical and digital media to create experiences that are both innovative and deeply human. Her illustrations are vibrant reflections of her belief that art is not just a product—but a process of connection, contemplation, and care.

Through collaborations like her feature with Hero Cosmetics, and public conversations like her radio interview with Zama Dube, Urechi continues to push the boundaries of what design and storytelling can do. Her work doesn’t just sit on the screen or hang on a wall—it engages, it asks, and it invites.

In Urechi’s world, art becomes a vessel for presence. Her work is an invitation—to breathe, to imagine, to gather, and to celebrate. Whether through pixels, fabric, or architecture, she reminds us that design can be a radical act of love.