about

Uzoma Ngwu is a Nigerian-American filmmaker and artist from Minnesota. She is a writer, director, producer, illustrator, and designer whose work is rooted in cultural specificity, with a particular focus on the African diaspora. She received her bachelor’s degree in Art, Film, and Visual Studies from Harvard University.

Uzoma began working as a freelance illustrator and animator in 2020, creating artwork for clients such as Hulu, MTV, Freeform, VH1, Oxfam America, and Adult Swim. In 2023, she founded ZOMA Studios, an animation studio committed to telling stories from a culturally specific lens. Uzoma is currently directing and producing the studio’s debut short film, Mmanwu, with support from the Mia and David Alpert Harvardwood Artist Launch Fellowship and over 2,000 Kickstarter backers. 

In 2025, Uzoma founded ZOMA House, a community art studio and event venue in Uptown Minneapolis collectively run by 3 arts organizations in the Twin Cities. ZOMA House aims to serve as a gathering space for Twin Cities artists and community members to create, connect, and collaborate through arts-based programming and events. ZOMA House is a 2025 recipient of the Vibrant Storefronts grant administered by the City of Minneapolis Arts and Cultural Affairs Department.