Time Together, Time Alone

Working under the name Studio IMO, Ibi Meier-Oruitemeka is a British-born painter with Nigerian roots. After leaving London for life by the sea, she embraced a slower pace she had first experienced while living in Sweden.

A birthday turning point

Before she began painting, Ibi founded and ran an organic haircare and skincare business for eight years. She had loved drawing since childhood but had never thought of herself as a painter. While raising two young children, she had also set her creative pursuits aside for a time.

The turning point came on her birthday in May 2024. She woke with a strong urge to get some acrylic paints and decided to follow that instinct. Teaching herself as she went, she painted every day. Within a few weeks, she took part in a local art market, where her first paintings sold out.

Time with others, time alone

Ibi is interested in human connection, the communities people create and the need for time alone. Conversations with friends and family are as much a part of her subject matter as moments of private reflection.

She often uses her hands when she speaks. Recognising a cultural dimension to these gestures, she wanted to bring them into her work. Hands moving during a conversation or resting on someone’s shoulder are part of how she depicts people spending time together, paying attention to their postures and gestures.

Creating characters through colour and clothing

Growing up surrounded by traditional fabrics and vibrant patterns, Ibi encountered colour from an early age. Although she uses it sparingly in her everyday surroundings, painting gives her the freedom to explore different combinations. Hats, layered fabrics and clothing colours help her give each figure a personality.

She avoids planning a painting too thoroughly before she begins. Quick sketches help her work out a difficult pose or the scale of a figure; the details develop as she paints in acrylics.

There is no fixed palette. She chooses colours according to her mood that day, enjoying the process without knowing in advance which colours will appeal to her or how the finished painting will look.

A growing exhibition practice

In November of the year she began painting, Ibi opened her first solo exhibition at a gallery in the town neighbouring Hastings. Group exhibitions in London and Lewes followed, along with a London solo exhibition in 2025.

In 2026, she also exhibited locally in Hastings. Her work is held in the permanent collection of the University of Cambridge.