Cletus Oche wins seventh edition of Next of Kin competition

ARTIST Cletus Oche has emerged as the winner of the 2025 Next of Kin Competition, themed “Who Will Give Us A Masterpiece?” This announcement follows the unveiling of a long list of 20 artists who participated in the competition.

Oche’s winning pieces, “Just As We Are” and “Dream of Defiants,” played a significant role in securing his victory.

Ibrahim Falilat was recognized as the second-place winner of the competition.

The participating artists included Nothando Chiwanga (Zimbabwe), Cletus Oche, Aba Linus, Oyelusi Olasunkanmi, Zainab Ajala, Yakubu Oluwaseun Kareem, Anyaheto Chinenye, Solomon Oguvre, Olatunde Emmanuel, and Uhule Nguemo Martha. Others in the lineup were Mitchelle James, Chinedu Christopher, Okeke Maduabuchi, Macaulay Barnabas, Okehie Solomon Chukwueumeka, Festus Biodun, Abiodun Emmanuel, Adetokun Opeyemi, Ibrahim Falilat, and David Obebi-ate Azibodi.

Oche described “Just As We Are” as depicting a male figure placed on a mask beneath a woman inside another mask, with golden tears dripping onto the figures below. He emphasized that this piece encourages people to acknowledge and act on the importance of human connections and interdependence.

He noted that the best art resonates with the feelings of empathy present in its surroundings.

Regarding his second work, “Dream of Defiants,” Oche explained that it is an abstract composition illustrating the turbulence that accompanies challenging conventional mindsets.

In his remarks, Cletus expressed gratitude to God and the Centre for providing this opportunity, calling the journey a remarkable experience, especially for his supporters who helped with the voting.