The new work, acquired with the support of DCU People, the DCU Race Equality Working Group and Cultural Arts Office, celebrates themes of identity, friendship, belonging and shared experience. It also marks another step in DCU’s commitment to building an art collection that reflects the diverse identities, cultures and experiences of its university community.
DCU first encountered the artists at the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) Annual Exhibition 2026, where Lauryn and Nicole received the prestigious Contemporary Irish Art Society (CIAS) Emerging Artist Award for their collaborative work I Know Why a Caged Bird Sings.
While that work had already found a home, the award introduced DCU to the artists’ wider collaborative series, Everybody Rides the Carousel. My Offerings to Oshun is part of this series and will now become part of the DCU Art Collection.
My Offerings to Oshun by Lauryn Creamer Nwadike and Nicole Maria Covurluain.
Rich in colour and symbolism, My Offerings to Oshun explores the experiences of friendship, youth and belonging. The work is part of the artists’ ongoing exploration of identity and what it means to grow up, find your place and share experiences with others.
The painting will bring a new perspective and a vibrant presence to DCU’s public spaces, giving students, staff and visitors the opportunity to encounter the artists’ work on campus.
Gertrude Rufai, Chair of the DCU Race Equality Working Group, said:
“The DCU Race Equality Action Plan recognises the important role that culture and representation play in creating a welcoming and inclusive university community. Art shapes how we experience shared spaces and how we understand ourselves and one another. The acquisition of My Offerings to Oshun represents an important step in ensuring that the University’s collection reflects the diversity, creativity and richness of contemporary Irish society.”
Artists Lauryn Creamer Nwadike & Nicole Covurluian remarked:
“It is an honour for us to be included in DCUs art collection.’ My Offerings to Oshun’ is part of a wider show we created in collaboration called ‘Everybody rides the carousel’ which celebrates friendship, formative years and the enduring presence of the landscapes that shape us”
Marcella Bannon, DCU Cultural Arts Officer, said:
“Lauryn and Nicole’s collaborative practice captures a particular moment of coming of age, translating their shared experiences, perspectives and creative relationship into a visually striking form of storytelling. Their work reflects one of the key objectives of the DCU Art Collection Policy: to support emerging artists and provide opportunities for contemporary voices to be seen and celebrated.”
Lauryn Creamer Nwadike is an Irish-Nigerian textile designer and painter whose multidisciplinary practice explores memory, identity and storytelling. A graduate of the National College of Art and Design (NCAD), she completed the PRISMA Residency in Lisbon in 2025. Drawing on her bicultural heritage, Lauryn brings together textile and painting practices to explore personal narratives and collective histories.
Nicole Maria Covurluain is a Ukrainian-Moldovan painter based in Dún Laoghaire. With a background in Art History, she completed the Kuba Residency in Berlin in 2024. Her work explores the human form as a vessel for memory, identity and inherited histories, looking at how personal and collective experiences are carried across generations.
To celebrate the acquisition of My Offerings to Oshun, as part of Black History Month DCU’s EDI and Culture Team, in partnership with the Cultural Arts Office, will host an in-conversation event with artists Lauryn Creamer Nwadike and Nicole Maria Covurluain. The event will offer students, staff and members of the public an opportunity to hear directly from the artists about the work, their creative process and the ideas that shape their practice, including themes of identity, representation and belonging.
Date: Thursday, 15 October 2026
Time: 11.00am
Location: Glasnevin Campus (venue to be confirmed)
Audience: Staff, students and members of the public
Admission: Free, registration required
Contact: edi@dcu.ie
Register: DCU Webpage
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