Artist Portfolio
Dr. Uzo Nwankpa envisions a world where creative expression reconnects us to our roots, transforms pain into resilience, and builds communities rooted in ancestral wisdom. The Uzo Method is a call to reclaim the body, honor the past, and rise together—where art becomes a living, breathing act of collective healing.
Artist Statement
My artistic practice is a love letter to the sacred—a path of remembering through ritual, movement, and ancestral presence. I create immersive experiences where dance, sound, and ceremony open portals to healing, connection, and belonging. Guided by African diasporic traditions and indigenous ways of knowing, I treat the body as altar, storykeeper, and bridge between worlds.
Nature is not a backdrop in my work—it is kin, collaborator, and ancient teacher. The elements—earth, water, air, and fire—shape the rhythm and soul of each offering. I listen to what the land remembers.
In collaboration with other healing artists and ceremonialists, I co-create spaces where art becomes ritual, and ritual becomes medicine. These are spaces for grieving, remembering, and reimagining what it means to be whole.
I do not create to perform—I create to awaken. To tend what’s been lost. To honor what still lives in us. To return to the earth that has never forgotten us.
AWARDS, RECOGNITION, FUNDING
2023 Culture Bearer Award, Center for Culture and Power. Funded to produce the Communal Healing podcast for healthcare workers.
2023 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellowship Project: Communal Healing for current and future healthcare professionals, Ohio State University.
2020 Afro Urban Society-Onye Ozi Cultural Influencer Fellowship, Afro Urban Society, Oakland, CA. Recognized for contributions to cultural influence in the Afro Urban community through arts and activism.
AWARDS, RECOGNITION, FUNDING
2020 Alliance for California Traditional Arts, San Francisco, CA. Participated in an apprenticeship with Master Storyteller Rhodessa Jones to deepen storytelling skills with a focus on cultural narratives and their healing potential.
Academic Leadership:
2019 Fellowship Residency: Laura C Harris Fellowship at Denison University, Granville, OH. Presented “Neuroscience of Surviving America - A Black Immigrants Story Lecture Performance,” integrating neuroscience and personal narrative.
Community and Public Health Advocacy
Health is wealth, and The Uzo Method Project is committed to advancing public health through culturally inclusive, community-driven approaches. Our mission is to bridge the gap between Indigenous and contemporary wellness practices, fostering resilience and collective healing.
Get Involved
We welcome collaborations, partnerships, and community engagement. Whether you are an organization, researcher, or individual interested in holistic healing, we’d love to connect.
Ways to Get Involved:
Donate – Support community healing initiatives.
Collaborate – Partner with us on research and projects.
Newsletter Signup – Stay updated on events and insights.