EMMANUEL UNAJI
Emmanuel Unaji is not interested in playing by the rules. A London-based multimedia artist with roots in both fashion and fine art, Unaji’s work is as bold as it is boundary-blurring. Fusing painting, drawing, collage, and garment design, he crafts a visual language that is rebellious, reflective, and rich in contradiction, mirroring the complexities of modern identity.
Alongside his brother Lemuel, Emmanuel co-founded UNAJI, a fashion label that doubles as a canvas for wearable art. From intricately printed denim jackets to hand-altered accessories, the label challenges distinctions between fashion and fine art, streetwear and sculpture. Whether on canvas or cloth, Unaji’s work is a collision of culture, commentary, and craftsmanship.
Currently pursuing a Fine Art degree at Kingston University, Unaji began his creative journey through fashion design, something that continues to inform the rhythm and attitude of his aesthetic. His practice is a visual remix, one that appropriates and disrupts imagery from magazines, pop culture, and Christian iconography, layering it with acrylic paint, charcoal, stitching, and symbolism.
A key element of Unaji’s work is the tension between perception and reality, between what we’re shown and what’s really there. His ongoing investigation into morality particularly the binaries of “right” and “wrong” is deeply informed by his Christian upbringing and the ever-polarising noise of the digital age. His piece Innocent Sin exemplifies this dialogue, using paradox and provocation as creative fuel.
Unaji is not afraid to ask uncomfortable questions. Why do we form judgments from headlines alone? What happens when luxury is layered over pain? What does it mean to appear "complete" in a fractured world? His portraits often fractured, embellished, and torn speak to a deeper truth: that identity is both performance and process. His figures are glamorised but bruised, idealised but interrupted. They are, above all, human.
Whether he’s working on a canvas or customizing clothing, Unaji’s art critiques the hyper-curated nature of modern media, inviting us to look again, and look deeper. Each piece becomes a site of resistance, a space to challenge the assumptions placed on Black bodies, beauty standards, and cultural worth.
His work has begun to resonate internationally, with wearable pieces attracting attention from global musicians and creatives who see in his work not just style, but substance. Through UNAJI, he envisions a future where fashion, music, and fine art aren’t separate disciplines but interconnected tools for storytelling and cultural commentary.
As Unaji himself puts it: “I want my work to develop into a fluid cycle of organic practices and collaborations.” That cycle is already in motion, vibrant, daring, and unapologetically personal.
Emmanuel Unaji isn’t just making art. He’s building a movement, one brushstroke, stitch, and collage at a time.
Creative Debuts have showcased Emmanuel as part of our adidas showcases
