Jimmy Nwanne was born in Kaduna, Nigeria. He studied fine arts at Nnamdi
Azikiwe University, Awka Nigeria, with a major in painting.
Jimmy was born to a father who worked as a building contractor and project
Supervisor and a mother who is a retired English and literature teacher. His
interest in drawing and making things by hand started early as he expressed the
desire to replicate folklore characters and cartoon characters on different surfaces like tables, walls, papers and in exercise books. As he grew up, his passion for building combined with his love for his animals led him to build bigger objects such as a dog house, chicken houses, and bird houses for his pigeons. He would use leftover materials and tools from his father’s construction: nails, wood, roofing sheets, saw, and hammer. Jimmy's passion and ability for handiwork was greatly aided by his keen observation of craftsmen working as carpenters and welders in his neighborhood at the time.
Both of his parents were supportive of his desire to pursue a career in the arts. His mother was particularly instrumental, as she hired an art teacher from her school to privately tutor Jimmy at home in preparation for an art examination to enter university.
Jimmy currently lives and works in between Kaiserslautern, Germany and Nigeria.