​Irene Yèga Omiunu

PhD Project 

​Navigating Upskilling Pathways within Africa’s Informal Creative Economies: A Demand-Side Study of Decision-Making, Precarity, and Informal Leadership. How do young African creatives (under 35) identify and navigate pathways to upskilling within informal and digitally mediated learning environments, and how do they evaluate the quality and legitimacy of these pathways under conditions of precarity in the absence of formal institutional signals?

Supervisors

• Dr Michael Flavin  School of Global Affairs

• Dr Tamsyn Dent ​Department of Culture, Media and Creative Industries​

Research Keywords

​Digitally mediated learning; Precarity, African Creative Economy, Informality

Professional Biography

Irene Yèga Omiunu is a British-Nigerian fashion artist, speaker and educator. Her practice extends beyond commissioned work into the intellectual and pedagogical dimensions of fashion illustration, and heritage textile symbolism (Afrosymbology Exhibition 2024).  Her thought leadership in the field of African fashion illustration has led to global invitations to speak and teach at world leading galleries and art institutions; notably The V&A Museum, The Courtauld Institute of Art, The Courtauld Gallery. She is the founder of Fashion Illustration Africa, a platform with a specific focus on mentoring the next generation of African illustrators by providing virtual learning opportunities which allow them to compete globally. With an MSc in International Management (Distinction) from the University of Exeter, she applies a global perspective to her creative practice at Studio Yéga. She is a founding Trustee of the Association of Authors and Illustrators of Nigeria (ACAIN).