DEPARTMENT OF FINE ARTS AND DESIGN
Dr. Chile A. Oparaocha
Dr. Chile A. Oparaocha is an academic, who is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Fine Arts and Design, Faculty of Humanities, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. A meticulous academic and professional with strong interpersonal communication and creative thinking abilities. He has practiced sculpture and taught same at both the undergraduate and Graduate levels at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. He holds a Ph.D in Sculpture from Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, MFA Degree in Sculpture from the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State Nigeria and a B.A Degree from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Dr Chile Oparaocha has over forty academic publications and Exhibitions in his name, where he is lead author and had equally collaborated and co-authored with others at both National and International levels. Dr. Chile Oparaocha ‘s research concerns has led to collaborative researches with the Departments of Human Anatomy and Engineering for the production of human. He is a sculptor and Painter who has interest in Curatorial Studies and Anatomical modelling. Dr. Chile Oparaocha ‘s research concerns has led to collaborative researches with the Departments of Human Anatomy.
Ashley Ajumoke Stewart
Ashley Stewart is a multidisciplinary visual artist and educator born in Mexico City, Mexico to Nigerian diplomats and hails from Rivers State. She has garnered many years of exemplary practice as a lecturer at the Department of Fine Arts and Design, University of Port Harcourt with core competence in Design Management and Graphics. Her academic accomplishments include a BA (Hons) in Fine Arts and Design, 2 Diplomas from London Academy of Media, Film and TV and 2 Master’s degrees in International Management obtained in the Loughborough University, UK and Fine Arts and Design in University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria respectively. She is a doctoral student and avid researcher completing her Ph.D in Wayfinding for Multicultural Users in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. She is a British Council StudyUK Alumni Awards Finalist for Culture and Creativity 2022 and Design Management Institute Student Essay Winner, 2022.
Ashley is an accomplished leader and is a Board Member of Arts Council of the African Studies Association (ACASA), International Liaison Officer for International Communication Association (ICA) and Alumni Ambassador, Loughborough University.
John Tokpabere Agberia
John Tokpabere Agberia is an artist, designer, curator and art historian. He is the first Professor of Fine Arts and Design in the University of Port Harcourt and was also the First Head of Department of Fine Arts and Design three consecutive times.
Agberia on graduating in 1983 from the University of Benin, Benin City, began his academic career as a Graduate Assistant at the University of Uyo in 1985. He received an MA in Art history degree from University of Ibadan in 1988 and a PhD from the University of Port Harcourt in 1998 with his thesis topic on Art and Religious Symbolism of the Urhobo people. Agberia has received several distinguished
postdoctoral academic scholarship awards from the United Kingdom, which includes the AG Leventis fellowship at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London (1995), Sainsbury Research fellowship award of the Sainsbury Research Unit, University of East Anglia (1997), and the University of Oxford’s Titular fellowship at the Pitt Rivers Museum (2009). At Oxford Pitt Rivers, he worked with Jeremy Coote, the joint Head of collections, where he began studying museums, cultural heritage, and curating. Agberia has attended many world conferences of art and design in London, New York, Oxford, Berlin/Germany and the popular CAA/Getty conference 2018 in Los Angeles California, USA. He is a tenured Professor of Art and Design at the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Professor Edem E. Peters
edem.peters@uniport.edu.ng
edem.peter.@yahoo.com
Professor Edem E. Peters is a Professor of ceramics, Design and Art Education in the Department of Fine Arts and Design, Faculty of Humanities, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Professor Peters hails from Nkana-Iman, Etinan L.G.A, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
He holds a B.A. Hons. (Fine / Industrial Arts – Ceramics options), Uyo; M.F.A (Ceramics) from the Department of Fine and Aplied Arts, Uuniversity of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria; M.Ed. (Educational Technology), University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt; and Ph.D (At Education) University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. Edem Etim Peters has also been awarded certificate after his successful completion of a course on Kiln Design / Building and Firing Techniques in the Summer Ceramics Programme of 2012 session, The Barn Pottery, North Bovey Road, Norternhampstead, Devon, United Kingdom. While in the UK, he visited outstanding pottery centres/potters, namely; Svend Bayer (Beaworthy; Devon), Douglas Fitch (Crediton Devon). Nic Collins (Morternhamptead). Peters also went to Leach Pottery at St. Ives, Cornwall which was founded in 1920, where Michael Cardew and Kenneth C. Murray got their training in pottery (ceramics), and numerous other pottery ceramics places in the United Kingdom.
He was further inspired by Bi-annual International Ceramics Festival, he attended in 2013 at Aberystwyth University, wales, Scotland.
Peter is a member of ceramics Research Association of Nigeria (CeRAN); Craft Potters’ Association of Nigerian (CPAN); National Association of African Industrial Designers, and Society of Nigeria Artist (SNA) among many others. He attended the Colorado Art Education Association Art workshop/conference in 2014 held at Brekenridge, Colorado, USA, where he was inducted as a member of Colorado Art Education Association (CAEA), Colorado, USA.
He held many solo and joint exhibitions, and he exhibited his ceramics works at local, national, and international art events. He has published many books and numerous research publications which reflect on ceramics/pottery, art, culture, technology and design and construction of kiln among others. His research papers are locally and globally read, and the Researchgate has congratulated him and awarded him (Edem Peters /Achievement) as having the most read items from this department (area of study) for the weeks for 160 occasions between 19th October, 2021 and 20th May, 2025.
Prof. Edem Peters is the originator/Editor-in- Chief in a widely Published Journal of Ceramics and Environmental Design, which is also online. He is a member of editorial board of other Journals within and outside Nigeria. He design and built a giant gas kiln in the Department of Fine Arts and Design, University of Port Harcourt to enable staff and students of ceramics to fire their works; through the support of the Institutional Capacity Building Program under African Regional and Innovation Fund for Applied Sciences, Engineering, and Technology. He has designed and built kiln and ceramics equipment for other institution / organization such as the Denis Osadebaly University among others.
He has received many honours/awards, and among such in ‘Jerusalem Pilgrim’, and honour accorded to him by the Israelis Minister of Tourism and the Mayor of Jerusalem in 2009. He visited Israel, Jordan, Palestine, Gaza, and Egypt. He has also visited Benin (Cotunou) and Ghana for Educational fieldtrip with students. Peters was one of the major Speakers in the National Gallery of Art 7th Stakeholders Forum/Symposium on Nigeria’s visual Art held between 7th to 8th May, 2025 at Rivers State University, Port Harcourt. He Spoke on “The Power of Collaboration: Fostering Innovation through Creative Ecosystems”. In collaboration with tertiary institutions in Rivers State.
Prof. Edem Peters has been a chairman of Departmental Postgraduate studies as well as Head of Department of Fine Arts and Design in the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Peters has many times been made one of the abstract assessors in Japan Conferences. Assan Conference on cultural studies 2019 (iafor) – International Academic Forum), and he virtually presented a paper title “The Reflection on the Creative Art of an Ibibio (African) Artist – Sculptor Sunday Jack Akpan in the Global scene,” which is now in Wikipedia and other platforms to showcase Nigerian/African art and culture.
