Born in Belgium and raised in Nigeria, Ibe Ananaba is a multidisciplinary visual artist whose practice engages sociocultural issues in contemporary life through an Afro-diasporic lens. A 1999 graduate with distinction from the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, Nigeria, his work reflects themes of identity, resilience, and cultural legacy.

Ananaba has exhibited across Africa, North America, Asia, and Europe. In 2024, he was Visual Arts Nova Scotia’s Artist-in-Residence, conducting practice-based research on experimental drawing. In 2023, he presented Black Fashion is Art at the Contemporary African Diaspora Arts (CADA) panel during Art Basel Miami. Winner of the Art Masters 1st Prize at Art Vancouver (2019), his work is recognized in the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives and has appeared in respected publications including Culture Kaleidoscope: 100 Artists of Our Time, Masters of Watercolor: Portrait and Figure, Fashion: A Second Language, Fashion Illustration Africa – New Generation, and Artists of Nigeria.

Dedicated to community engagement and advocacy through art, Ananaba mentors with the African Female Artist Mentorship Program (AFAMP) and teaches drawing at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD).

Based in Halifax, he is an active member of Visual Arts Nova Scotia and the Black Artist Network of Nova Scotia.