The modern art of Nigeria was greatly impacted by colonialism, and the importance of European techniques and training grew during this period.
In the past decade, Nigeria’s art scene has gained independence and global recognition and has flourished, leading to a renewed interest in modern and contemporary art in the country.
Ranked Africa’s largest economy in 2017, making up 0.8 percent of the world’s GDP, Nigeria has seen its economy surging — together with the interest in fashion, music and art. That has fueled a rise in the number of galleries and auction houses, and, in 2016, of the ART X Lagos fair, the first commercial fair of its kind in West Africa.
The rich culture of making art has also been passed down as Africa is blessed with many talented artists, and Nigeria is home to many of these artists, but despite this, the value of art in Africa is more understated than it should be. African art should be more celebrated, especially Nigerian art.
These artists told stories with art and fully infused the Nigerian culture in their art pieces. Let’s walk you through some of these impressive artists and their notable works:
Ben Enwonwu MBE was a pioneer of African modernism. He was born in 1917 in Onitsha, eastern Nigeria, to a mother who ran a successful textile business and a father who was a retired technical assistant and reputable sculptor, from whom the artist learned his early carving skills. Despite being widely celebrated as a painter and sculptor, Enwonwu was also a distinguished writer and art critic.
Ben Enwonwu studied fine arts at the Government College in 1934, before receiving a scholarship to study in the UK in 1944, where he attended Goldsmiths College and the Slade School of Fine Arts. During this time he studied European art movements such as Symbolism and Fauvism. Throughout his oeuvre, Enwonwu demonstrates his ability to combine European techniques studied in school with his early training in traditional Igbo aesthetics.
Enwonwu returned to Nigeria in 1948 to begin his federally appointed position of Art Supervisor of the Colonial Office. The artist continued his practice in Nigeria and in 1949 was declared by Ebony Magazine as ‘Africa’s greatest artist’. Among his many accolades, Enwonwu was awarded an MBE in 1955 by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to the arts. The following year he became the first African artist to receive a royal commission when The Queen sat for a bronze sculpture, positioned at the entrance of the Lagos Parliament Buildings. In 1980 Enwonwu was awarded the National Order of Merit by the Nigerian government for his invaluable contribution to the country’s arts and culture scene.
Spanning close to 60 years, Ben Enwonwu’s artistic career followed one of the most important periods of Modern Nigerian history; the journey from a British colony to a newly independent African nation. Nigeria gained independence from the United Kingdom on 1 October 1960, and with it the country was in search of a new post-colonial identity. Ben Enwonwu became an advocate for a new Nigerian national culture and in 1968 the artist became the cultural advisor to the newly formed Nigerian government. Enwonwu’s reputation reached far and wide as the artist’s works were even used to support Black liberation movements in Africa, Europe and the US.
Enwonwu exhibited alongside prominent European modernists at the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris and started to attract international attention after participating in an exhibition at London’s Berkley Galleries in 1947. This was followed by a series of shows in New York, Boston and Howard University in Washington DC in 1950, and in the same year the artist held a major exhibition at Gallery Apollinaire in Milan. Enwonwu’s works have also been included in exhibitions of prominent museums such as the Tate, National Gallery of Lagos and Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in D.C.
By his passing in 1994 Ben Enwonwu was, and would continue to be, considered one of the most revered African artists of the 20th century.
Peju Alatise is the founder of the ANAI Foundation – a non-profit foundation dedicated to the development of visual arts in Nigeria, and the first purpose built artist’s residency with a well-equipped ceramic studio, which offers sponsored training programs for ceramic artists.
She is an interdisciplinary artist, architect and author of two novels, she has been practising as an independent studio artist in Nigeria since 1998. She has been consistent with her experimentation with materials and techniques as a medium to analyse various socio-political issues. Alatise has also been an influential voice on the Child Not Bride campaign in Nigeria, with her work regularly feeding into this discourse.
Her works challenge the status quo of the African society and also of global affairs. She has been consistent with her experimentation with materials and techniques as a medium to analyse various socio-political issues. Peju has also been an influential voice on the Child Not Bride campaign in Nigeria, with her work regularly feeding into this discourse.
Peju Alatise is a fellow at the National Museum of African Art, part of the Smithsonian Institution. Her work has been collected by the Smithsonian Institute. She is the 2017 winner of the FNB Art Prize in Johannesburg. Her work was exhibited at Venice Biennale’s 57th edition, themed Viva Arte Viva (Long Live Art) in the Nigerian pavilion. Her work was exhibited at the 2018 EVA biennial in Ireland. Peju Alatise’s is a regular feature at 1:54 Art fair in New York, Marrakech and London. Her participation in the Venice Biennale Architecture 2021 was a direct invitation from the Biennale Curator Mr. Hashim Sarkis.
Other selected recent past exhibitions of her works were held at the 2014 Casablanca biennale in Morocco, Cooper gallery for African and African American art Harvard University-2017, Resignification of Black body 2016 in Museo Bardini – Florence. Familiar boundaries – Infinite possibilities exhibition, August Wilson centre, Pittsburgh, USA. Curator- Kilolo Luckett, October 2018 to March 2019. EVA Ireland Biennial 2018. Curator- Inti Guerrero. Manifesta 12, Resignification of Black bodies. Palermo, Italy, Curator- Awam Ampka (New York University) June 2018. Péju Alatise ‘Memoirs of the forgotten’ 2019 Sulger Buel Gallery, London. Intricacies: Fragment & Meaning Aicon Gallery, New York 2019.
Ayegbayo Damola, an accomplished expressionist artist, boasts a rich history in the arts and crafts industry. After graduating from Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife with a Bachelor’s in Education, from the Department of Fine and Applied Arts where he specialized in painting. His works capture the beauty and strength of African women, reflecting life’s realities and morals through vibrant colors and faces. His art exhibited nationally and in England, is cherished by private collectors around the globe. Inspired by his mother’s guidance and love, Damola’s portrayal of black women adorned with colored faces unveils his true identity, enriching any setting with cultural depth and emotion.
Ayegbayo was born in 1988 in Ejigbo, Osun State, Nigeria. His works convey the power of the beauty of black African women, the reality of life and morals through color and black beautiful women faces
His painting has been exhibited nationally, in the United States and the United Kingdom, his works have been acquired by many private collectors in Canada, Vietnam, United Kingdom, Australia, England, London, Norway, Washington, Lagos, and others. In Addition, His art has been featured in both national and international publications.
The artist concept of using a black woman cover with colored faces illustrates how his strong mother trained and brought him up with love and morals, helping him to discover his true identity.
Ayegbayo is the founder of ‘Victor Arts Enterprise’ and has over the years researched the use of media like postal colors, oil colors, acrylics, and other mediums. He was inspired by his late grandfather who was a Painter, Sculptor, and ceramist from a tender age. He is a Visual Artist with a demonstrated history of working in the arts and crafts industry, Skilled in Paintings and Drawings.
Ayegbayo is Nigerian youngest largest Art Collector with an estimate of 1000 works of painting and visual arts. His works are in the collections of organisations such as KPMG, Super Sports TV, Standard Chartered Bank among others.The artist painting has been exhibited nationally, in the United Kingdom and United States. Also, his works have been acquired by private collectors like Jimmy Akingbola, Marcus Gardley,Jean-Michel Basquiat sister Lisane basquiat etc and auctions by online art houses such as Liveauctioneers, Bidhaus and Jasper52.
Harper Collins Publishers LLC USA featured his painting “unconditional love series 2” as a book cover title ‘Relations an anthology of African and Diaspora voices’ and a book written by Abayomi Mighty title Art is life.
Ayegbayo arts has been featured in Non-fungible token (NFT) international projects as the only African artist in the world of women Nft project , Wayfair, Target, and Vincent van Gogh Nft project in partnership with Saatchi Art
His works convey the power of the beauty of black African women, the reality of life, and morals through color and black beautiful women’s faces. The name of his painting style is called ÀBÈFÉ meaning (pleaded to be loved) which is his native name
Ayegbayo impacts in the art scene earned him nominations at this year’s JOM Charity Awards. The JOM Charity Awards recognizes an outstanding individual or company/ organizations whose contributions have positively enhanced the social fabric and/or whose impact can be felt worldwide. Formally known as the JOM Charity excellent Award, recipients must show exemplary dedication to social, environmental and humanitarian causes. This can be done in a single noted action or a life-long commitment.
