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Artists and guests at Artmiabo International Festival 2026

Artmiabo International Festival · 2026

Emmanuel Ekpe
Owen

A life of service, memory and creative rebirth, preserved in the Planet B archive.

Abuja, NigeriaPB-ID-00003728 works in archive
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01 / The artist

There are lives that follow a straight line, and there are lives that take the scenic route. Mine has been anything but straight.

Emmanuel Ekpe Owen, known to many as “Kommander,” is a retired naval officer, adventurer, humanitarian and artist. After a career shaped by discipline, danger and resilience, he returned to art as a language for the experiences words could not always hold.

Each painting is an encounter: a memory, an emotion, a journey or a fragment of a life lived. This page is a permanent record of that creative return.

“Art became therapeutic. It became a language through which I could process experiences that words could not always adequately express.”
02 / Selected works

Paintings of memory, resilience, freedom and identity.

Peace
01Peace2026 · Acrylic on Canvas
Shujaa
02Shujaa2026 · Acrylic on Canvas
The Storm
03The Storm2026 · Acrylic on Canvas
Kommander
04Kommander2026 · Acrylic on Canvas
Freedom
05Freedom2026 · Acrylic on Canvas
Artmiabo International Festival 2026
03 / Field note

Artmiabo International Festival · 2026

An atmosphere charged with history.

Artmiabo art exhibition was unique. It created a charged atmosphere where one was in awe of the old time greats. Priceless paintings with dates as far back as 1940 was esoteric. Sharing space with arts made by millennials was surreal. A great experience I will say.

Read the festival article ↗
04 / Inside the studio

Inside the Studio of Emmanuel Ekpe Owen

There is something special about watching an artist at work. Every stroke tells a story, and every little detail reveals the patience and thought that go into creating a piece of art.

In this short studio video, we get a closer look at Nigerian artist and retired Navy officer Emmanuel Ekpe Owen as he works on his charcoal drawings. With his tools in hand and his attention fixed on the work, he shows us that creating art takes time, focus, and a genuine passion for what you do.

Charcoal may look simple, but in the hands of a skilled artist, it can capture so much through light, shadow, texture, and expression. Watching Owen work reminds us that sometimes, the simplest materials can produce the most powerful results.

His journey from serving in the Navy to expressing himself through art is also a reminder that creativity has no age limit and that it is never too late to keep exploring your passion.

Beyond the finished drawings, there is a story in the process itself — one of dedication, patience, and the quiet satisfaction of bringing an idea to life.

This is Emmanuel Ekpe Owen, creating one stroke at a time.

04 / Continue the journey

Welcome to
my world.