20 Nigerian Contemporary Artists You Should know

Akinola Lasekan, 1916-1972 (painter and cartoonist)

Lasekan was born in Owo, Ondo State in about 1916. He started to practise art on his own after he left school. In 1941, he became a freelance artist. he started as a textile designer and later became a cartoonist, a painter and illustrator. His best known works are the portraits of Sir Winston Churchill and six allegorical paintings entitled Nigerian in Transition. He was the daily cartoonist of West Africa Pilot Newspaper from 1948 to 1961. He rose to become Acting HOD, Fine Arts Department, University of Enugu, Nsukka.

20 Nigerian Contemporary Artists you should know

Ben Enwonwu (painter and sculptor) born in 1921.

Ben Enwonwu learnt carving from his father when he was young. He was encouraged to pursue art between 1934 and 1937 by Kenneth C. Murray at Government College, Ibadan. He was later trained at Slade School of Art, London, among many other training abroad. His first one man show was in 1942 at the Exhibition centre, Marina Lagos. His first group show was in  Zwemmer gallery, London. These were followed by other exhibitions within and outside Nigeria. He did Sango, outside NEPA building , Marina. Anyanwu was also made and placed at The Lagos Museum onikan.He did the Risen christ in wood at Universisity of Ibadan. Enwonwu strongly believes that Nigerian artists should express their cultural identity through the use of western techniques without copying western art.

Older works of Ben Enwonwu

20 Nigerian Contemporary Artist you should know

 Solomon Wangboje (Graphic artist and Art educator)
Solomon Irein Wangboje was born in 1930, in Edo State of Nigeria. He first trained as an artist in 1959 at the former Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria, where he obtained a diploma in Fine Arts, specialising in graphic design. He later got his MFA degree in 1963 at USA, and his PhD in art education also from USA in 1968. Apart from his untiring effort in encouraging young artists to utilize their talents, he has had many one-man and group exhibitions of his works within and outside Nigeria. Some of such prints are Desert Journeys and the romance of the headload 1 and 11.

Romance of the Headload:Wood print by Solomon Wangboje

20 Nigerian Contemporary Artist you should know.
Twin Seven-Seven (Taiwo Olaniyi)
He participated in Oshogbo, Mbari-mbayo art workshop organised by Ulli Beier in 1964. At this workshop, he was encouraged  along with other young guys who were uneducated enough to gain admission into high school to use african methods of expression using a variety of media for art productions. He is an artist, musician, folk dramatist, and a dancer. His early works were delicate pen and ink drawings which were coloured and varnished. Twin seven-seven has had many one-man and group shows within Nigeria, London, U.S and Germany.

Twin Seven-Seven Paintings

20 Nigerian Contemporary  Artists you should know

Jimoh Buraimoh (painter/mosaicst)
He was one of the Osogbo Artists, at the mbari-mbayo art workshop organised by Ulli Beier. He sticks tiny  glass beads on plyboard and apply coloured paints in some parts. His bead paintings and mosaics can be found at Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, Ori olokun, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, and at the entrance of National Arts Theartre, Iganmu, Lagos. He has had many exhibitions throughout Africa, West Germany, Netherlands, India, England and the United States of America.

Peacock: A Bead painting by Jimoh Buraimoh