20 Nigerian Contemporary Artist you should know: Number 5: Abayomi Barber

 

" Portrait painting of former Nigerian President Sheu Sagari" by Abayomi Barber

Abayomi Barber is a renowned Nigerian artists born in Ile – Ife, Osun State. He is a Graphic Designer, Painter and Sculptor.  Barber trained at Yaba Technical Institute (now Yaba College of Technology) and Central School of Arts and Craft, London between 1960 to 1962. He has taken part in several joint and one man art exhibitions both in Nigeria and abroad.
Most of Barber’s works are in public and private homes in Nigeria and abroad. These include: Statue of Sir Wilson Churchill, in London, Life bust statue of Late General Muritala Muhammed, Life statue of Chief I. O. Ogun in Abeokuta, “Oduduwa” a painting on canvas treated with sands, African Maiden (oil) and FESTAC ’77 among others.

Abayomi Barber. A reknowned Nigeria Artist

20 Nigerian Contemporary Artist you should know: Yusuf Grillo

Number 4: Nigerian Contemporary Artist you should know: Yusuf Grillo

Painting of Yusuf Grillo

Yusuf Grillo (born 1934) is a contemporary Nigerian artist known for his inventive works and the prominence of the color blue in many of his paintings.
Grillo is considered one of Nigeria's outstanding and academically trained painters; he emerged to prominence and international recognition in the 1960s and 1970s, while exhibiting a large collection of his early works.
He makes use of his western art training in many of his paintings, combining western art techniques with traditional Yoruba sculpture characteristics. His preference for color blue in natural settings paintings, is sometimes similar to the adire or resist-dye textiles used in Nigeria.

Another painting of Yusuf Grillo

20 Nigerian Contemporary Artist you should know: Dele Jegede

20 Nigerian Contemporary Artist You should know: Number 3: Dele Jegede

Dr. Dele Jegede is a renowned Nigerian from Ikere-Ekiti in Ekiti State of Nigeria. He trained at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, before proceeding to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he graduated as a painter and the prize winner of his set in 1973. He also did his PhD in Art history from Indiana University, Bloomington USA.
Dele Jegede is a good illustrator, cartoonist and art critic. He was the Art Editor of Daily Times before he became a research fellow at the Cultural Studies Department of University of Lagos.  He has taken part in several one man and joint art exhibitions in  Nigeria and abroad.

"Durbar" : By Dele Jegede

Legends of Africa: ODUDUWA

The Yoruba regard Ile-Ife as their place of origin, as told in the creation myth.
When great god was sent to earth he became very thirsty and drank palm wine, and lay down to sleep.
As he was away long time, god sent his brother, oduduwa to continue the work of creation.
This he did and supplanted great god in ownership of the land.
Oduduwa is regarded as the first king of Ife and the founder of their race.
He was a strong personality.

A famous bronze head representing an early King, from Ife, Nigeria,
where some of the finest African Art flourished from the thirteenth century A.D.

Any wrong doing by Oduduwa in this story? Let me have your comments.

Legends Of Africa: ORANMIYAN

The staff of Oranmiyan, Ile-Ife.

 Oranmiyan was the son of Oduduwa, he was noted to be a great warrior. In old age he retired into a groove, whenever  his people were attacked by enemies,  he emerged and dispersed enemies single-handed.
One day, during a festival, when the city was full of people and some were drunk, a man called out to oranmiyan that they were being attacked. The old king came out on horseback and laid about the crowd, destroying his own people unknowingly, until the people begged him to stop destroying his own subjects.
 Then the shocked warrior drove his staff into the ground and said he would never fight again.
Oranmiyan was said to have turned into stone.
Broken remains of stone have been dug up and fitted to restore the pillar, 'the staff of oranmiyan', which stands about twenty feet above ground, and studded with iron nails.
Africans are really creative. What do you think?

20 Nigerian Contemporary Artist you should know.Number 2: Bruce Onabrakpeya

A typical work of Bruce Onabrakpeya

 Bruce Obomeyoma Onobrakpeya (born 30 August 1932) is a Nigerian printmaker, painter and sculptor. 

He has exhibited at the Tate Modern in London, the National Museum of African Art of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and the Malmö Konsthall in Malmö, Sweden.

Since 1966, as an experimental artist, Onobrakpeya has discovered, innovated and perfected several techniques both in printmaking and relief sculpture that are uniquely Nigerian.