Artist Precious Okoyomon embraces life and death through allegorical garden installations and deconstructed teddy bears
New York, New York—July 14, 2026—Art21 today announced the release of “Precious Okoyomon’s Creative Destruction,” a new documentary film about the artist’s expansive practice. The short film traces Okoyomon’s unique creative trajectory rooted in childhood experiences gardening with their grandmother and collecting toys. Art21 follows the artist as they work on immersive botanical installations and stuffed bear sculptures at celebrated arts institutions like the São Paulo Bienal and the Whitney Biennial.
Directed by Haimy Assefa, the film premieres Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 12 pm ET on Art21.org and YouTube.
“Precious’s work is so vast,” explains Assefa. “At first glance, it can feel like the various mediums are in their own worlds, but I see them as layers that have a through line. In sections of the film, we literally layered Precious’s work, so you could see how the poetry, the gardens, the drawings, and the stuffed animals all build on one another.
Okoyomon frames childhood toys and plant life as mirrors to better understand the human condition, investigating ideas of freedom, racialization, and the subtle violence of the everyday. “Most of my work is me just thinking through my experiences,” says Okoyomon in the Art21 film. “Everything is extremely vulnerable and personal in that way.”
A new site-specific commission by the artist opens on July 31, 2026 at MoMA PS1.
About New York Close Up
New York Close Up (NYCU) is devoted to capturing early-career artists living and working in New York City. NYCU films have been accepted and honored by over 100 film festivals worldwide, including Academy Awards-qualifying festivals like AmDocs Film Festival, Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, BlackStar, DOC NYC, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, and Palm Springs ShortFest. NYCU films have also been honored with 2 Webby Award nominations and 10 Vimeo Staff Picks.
New York Close Up is made possible with support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, the Henry Nias Foundation, and individual contributors.
About Art21
As the leading independent producer documenting the art of our time, Art21 was established with a mission to expand access to artists and their ideas, meet audiences where they are, and explore connections between artists and their communities. To date, Art21 has created 85+ hours of films documenting over 300 artists across six continents. For more information, visit Art21.org.
###
For an advance screening or to learn more, email Art21 Associate Director of Communications, Hannah DeGarmo, at hannah@art21.org.
