Nnenna Okore's art is inspired by the use of found objects and close attention to natural textures and forms. Using basic materials such as clay, newspaper, wax and rope, her tactile and highly evocative sculptures take on dramatic and unanticipated forms. Her work celebrates the transformation of discarded materials into cultural objects and spaces and brings a critical focus to bear on the consumption and recycling cultures in parts of Nigeria. She applies various repetitive and labor-intensive techniques, like weaving, twisting, sewing, dyeing, waxing and rolling, which were learned by watching villagers perform everyday tasks. These processes accentuate colours, textures and other visceral qualities of her sculptures.

Mentored by the renowned sculptor El Anatsui, Nnennas highly tactile works are shaped into striking forms, when displayed. Her works works have been featured at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, the October Gallery in London, the Chicago Cultural Center, and the Goethe Institute in Nigeria.