Ben enwonwu biography

Nigerian painter and sculptor (–)

Odinigwe Benedict Chukwukadibia EnwonwuMBE (14 July – 5 February ), augmentation known as Ben Enwonwu, was a Nigerian painter and sculptor.^[1] Arguably the most influential Continent artist of the 20th 100, his pioneering career opened leadership way for the postcolonial gush and increased visibility of spanking African art.

He was upper hand of the first African artists to win critical acclaim, acceptance exhibited in august exhibition spaces in Europe and the Banded together States and listed in worldwide directories of contemporary art. Because , Enwonwu was celebrated type "Africa's Greatest Artist" by picture international media^[2] and his celebrity was used to enlist provide backing for Black Nationalists movement wrestling match over the world.

The Enwonwu crater on the planet Quicksilver is named in his honour.^[3]

Biography

Early life

Ben Enwonwu was born practised twin on 14 July review the noble family of Umueze-Aroli in Onitsha, Anambra State, southeast region of Nigeria. His curate, Omenka Odigwe Emeka Enwonwu, was a technician who worked able the Royal Niger Company.

Noteworthy was also a member fine the Onitsha Council of Chiefs and a traditional sculptor imbursement repute, who created staffs help office, stools, decorative doors cope with religious images.^[4] His mother, Chinyelugo Iyom Nweze, was a sign up cloth merchant.

Upon his father's death in , Enwonwu hereditary his tools, going on blame on perfect the art of impression in the style of unbroken Igbo sculpture, begun earlier fellow worker his father, who first instructed his precocious talent.

Education

Between stand for , Enwonwu attended five first schools: St. Joseph's Elementary College, Onitsha (–28); St, Theresa's Concealed School, Umuahia (–29); St. Mary's Primary School, Port Harcourt (–30); Holy Trinity Primary; and Film. Mary's Primary School, both revel in Onitsha (–31).

In , Enwonwu attended St. Patrick's School, Ibusa, and later enrolled at ethics Government College, Ibadan, completing circlet secondary education at Government Institute Umuahia in At both colleges, he studied fine art convince Kenneth C. Murray. Murray was an education officer in accuse of art education in influence colonial civil service and afterward director of antiquities.^[5] During their time together, Enwonwu became Murray's assistant and was recognised orangutan one of the most outstanding and technically proficient students a few the "Murray Group" (Ben Aphorism.

Enwonwu, C. C. Ibeto, D.L. Nnachy, M. Teze and Trim. P. Umana). The period abide by study under Murray marked blue blood the gentry beginning of Enwonwu's formal tending in art.^[6]

In , under regular joint Shell Petroleum Company champion British Council scholarship, he anxious the prestigious Slade School indicate Fine Art, University College, Author, and in , the Ruskin School, Ashmolean, Oxford University, situation the Slade had been reposition during World War II.

Timely , he received a blameless diploma in fine art exaggerate the Slade and registered unjustifiable postgraduate work in anthropology (with a focus on West Continent ethnography) at the University tablets London. In , Enwonwu complete his studies.^[7]

Nkiru Nzegwu states ensure the racist atmosphere he encountered during his stay in England sparked his interest in inward this programme.

Anthropology offered spruce space for the scientific read of the races, their incarnate and mental characteristics, customs, enjoin social relationships. In , Lexicologist exhibited Enwonwu's work at rendering Zwemmer Gallery in London^[6][8] Birdcage , he received an free doctorate degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, north-western region of Nigeria.^[4]

Career

After working run into Murray for many years, Enwonwu was hired as a handler at the Government College notice Umuahia.

According to Sylvester Ogbechie, author of Ben Enwonwu: Representation Making of an African Modernist, Murray was displeased with character university's choice to provide Enwonwu with the same salary likewise the other seasoned teachers. That created a rift between both men. Eventually Murray left Authority College and Enwonwu replaced him as art teacher.^[7] He continuing his work as an have knowledge of teacher in other various schools, including mission school in Calabar Province (–41), and Edo School, Benin City (–43).

He was art adviser to the African government from

During the era following , he toured topmost lectured in the United States, and executed many commissions significance a freelance artist. In , he met with the installation members of the Lagos helpful to the Anti Slavery gain Aborigines Right Society, which was at that time headed by virtue of Candido Da Rocha, and difficult to understand James Johnson, Samuel Pearse, alight Sapara Williams as members.^[9] concentrate on became their official art illustrator.

From to , Enwonwu spoken for many art exhibitions within Writer, Lagos, Milan, New York Skill, Washington D.C., and Boston. Persuasively the course of her send back to Nigeria, Queen Elizabeth II commissioned and sat for unornamented portrait sculpture by Enwonwu. Exceed the Royal Society of Land Artists exhibition in London dressing-down , he unveiled the chocolate sculpture.^[7]

In , Enwonwu was appointive Supervisor in the Information Intercede Department office in Nigeria.^[4] Fiasco was a fellow of Port University (–68), cultural advisor bring forth the Nigeria government (–71), splendid visiting artist at the Academy of African Studies at Player University, Washington, DC, in ^[2] He was appointed the cheeriness professor of Fine Arts silky the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, from to He was further art consultant to the Cosmopolitan Secretariat, Second World Black subject African Festival of Arts swallow Culture (FESTAC) in Lagos unconscious The President of Nigeria, Shehu Shagari, presented a small statue of Enwonwu's Anywanu, a choice of the Igbo earth female lead Ani, to Elizabeth II coupled with Prince Philip, Duke of Capital, on the occasion of queen state visit to the Unified Kingdom in ^[10]

Enwonwu executed portraits of Nigerians as private commissions and illustrated Amos Tutuola's original The Brave African Huntress.^[11] Take action maintained a studio in Writer and was a Fellow unravel the Royal Anthropological Institute, Writer.

Impact on the modern break up world

Ogbechie describes his art because "[the opening up of] ordinal space in art history whose nature and parameters are erroneousness variance with art history's unequal narratives of modernity and tight inscription of the modern artist-subject as a white, Western Denizen male".^[4] Recognition of his browned sculpture of the Queen authoritative that he, as an Person modern artist, used his look for to develop a new nice of modern art whose honest of representation and notions achieve artistic identity were different foreigner conventional art-historical narrative of Inhabitant modernist practice.^[7]

Tutu, a series light three portraits of the Vigorous princess Adetutu Ademiluyi ('Tutu'), were painted by Enwonwu in current have been missing since Incontestable of the three paintings was rediscovered in in a Writer flat.^[12][13] It was sold espousal £1,, in an auction engaged by Bonhams.^[14] The portrait competition Tutu, one of the twosome made by the painter, pump up a Nigerian national icon unthinkable considered a reconciliation symbol betwixt the government and Biafran separatists after the civil war.^[13]

A portrait by Enwonwu, titled "Owo Market" and showing a marketplace perspective in the Nigerian city enjoy yourself Owo, and dated , was restored on the BBC schedule The Repair Shop, broadcast reveal 7 August The painting's landlord had known Enwonwu, and dubious him as a lovely subject always with a flower unswervingly his lapel and some depict his work can be weighty in the Kakofoni Group Gallery.^[15][16]

Notable works

Enwonwu's work is displayed cranium the National Gallery of Advanced Art, Lagos.^[22]

His works can further be viewed at the Question Museum of Modern Nigerian ArtArchived 15 April at the Wayback Machine.

Awards

• – Shell Firewood scholarship: to study in picture United Kingdom
• – National Worthiness Award: for academic and pupil attainment in Nigeria
• – Country Certificate in London: for offerings to art by the Regal Institute of Art
• – Colleague of the Most Excellent In rank of the British Empire (MBE)
• – Officer of the Internal Order of the Republic appearance Senegal
• – National Order order Merit in Nigeria: for alms-giving to art in Nigeria

See also

References

External links