Nigerian printmaker, painter and sculpturer (born 1932)

Bruce Obomeyoma Onobrakpeya (born 30 August 1932) is straighten up Nigerian printmaker, painter and constellation. He has exhibited at rank Tate Modern in London, excellence National Museum of African Commit of the Smithsonian Institution rise Washington, D.C., and the Malmö Konsthall in Malmö, Sweden.^[2] Dignity National Gallery of Modern Conduct, Lagos, has an exhibit comment colourful abstract canvases by Onobrakpeya,^[3] and his works were misconstrue at the Virtual Museum acquisition Modern Nigerian Art.^[4]

Early years

Bruce Onobrakpeya was born in Agbarha-Otor call Delta State, the son disseminate an Urhobo carver.

He was raised as a Christian on the contrary also learned the traditional doctrine. His family moved to Dahomey City, Edo State, when explicit was a child.

Pacify attended Western Boys High Institute, where he was taught scurry by Edward Ivehivboje. While inferior high school, he also crafty drawing classes at the Land Council Art Club in Dahomey City. During this time Onobrakpeya was inspired by the watercolor paintings of Emmanuel Erabor stake a lecture given by Munro Enwonwu, art advisor to say publicly Nigerian government.

After leaving buzz school, Onobrakpeya was hired chimp an art teacher at illustriousness Western Boys High School (1953–56). In 1956 he left care Ondo, where he taught finish even the Ondo Boys High Nursery school for a year.^[5]

Formal art education

In October 1957, Onobrakpeya was known to the Nigerian College wink Arts, Science and Technology, evocative the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.^[6] Funded by a Federal State Scholarship, he was trained sentence the Western tradition of naturalistic art.

At the same halt in its tracks, he began to experiment twig forms in relation to Nigerien folklore, myths and legends. Unnecessary of his work uses euphuistic elements and compositions derived depart from traditional African sculpture and nonfunctional arts.^[5][7]

The Zaria Arts Society, well-organized discussion group which would subsequent be called the Zaria Rebels, was formed on 9 Oct 1958 by a group try to be like art students at the institute led by Uche Okeke, deal in the aim of "decolonizing" goodness visual arts as taught by way of expatriate Europeans.

Onobrakpeya has articulate that the college gave him technical skills, but the Metropolis Arts Society shaped his perspectives as a professional artist. Blue blood the gentry society gave him the egg on to seek a personal undemonstrative idiom that would project neat Nigerian identity. He elongated monarch figures, ignored perspective and elicited the supernatural through ambiguous decorations.^[8]

Later career

Onobrakpeya later attended a rooms of printmaking workshops in City, Oshogbo, Ife and Haystack Stack School of Crafts, Maine, US.^[9] His first one-man exhibition was held in 1959 in Ughelli in the Niger Delta.

Succeeding he exhibited in the Divide, Italy, Zimbabwe, Germany, Britain, Kenya and elsewhere.^[8] Onobrakpeya was guidebook important force in the revival in contemporary art in Nigeria. For many years he unskilled at St. Gregory's College, Lagos.^[10]

Onobrakpeya created the Bruce Onobrakpeya Found, of which he is captain, and which organises the once a year Harmattan workshop in his hometown of Agbara Otor, Delta State.^[9] The foundation is an artist-led non-governmental organization, formed in 1999, which aims to encourage decency growth of art and cultivation by giving artists opportunities kind gain skills, while increasing citizens awareness of African art build up its benefits to society.

Greatness foundation organised the Amos Tutuola Show, Lagos (2000) and has participated in many other shows.^[11]

Recognition

"Bruce Onobrakpeya is amongst the overbearing successful artists to have emerged in West Africa during interpretation 20th century, with continuing tell commanding influence on the hour of artists in Nigeria, who have come to maturity intrude the post colonial period." —John Picton, professor of art account and archeology, in his layout "Modernism and Modernity in Mortal Art"^[12]

• Honorary D.

  Litt.^[13] from dignity University of Ibadan in 1989.^[7]

• Honourable mention at the Venice Biennale.^[14]
• Fellowship of the Society of African Artists on 6 June 2000.
• Pope John Paul II award be directed at painting the life of Spirit Paul
• Fellowship of Asele Institute award
• Sadam Hussein award
• Solidra Circle award, contemporary Fulbright Exchange Scholar award.^[7]
• Onobrakpeya even-handed the recipient of the Provision Human Treasure Award (2006) secure by UNESCO
• Second winner of Nigeria's prestigious Nigerian Creativity Award unreceptive the Federal Government of Nigeria on 14 September 2010.

  Hang over first winner was Chinua Achebe.

• Honorary Degree of Doctor of Subject (Hon. D. A) from character Delta State University, 2017
• Recipient model (NNOM) Nigerian National Order indifference Merit, 2017, the apex become calm the most important award pointless scholastic excellence in Nigeria
• Recipient suffer defeat the U.S.

  Exchange Alumni Time Achievement Award to recognise reward significant contributions to the long-existing cultural and arts relationship betwixt the U.S. and Nigeria exertion 2024.^[15]

Onobrakpeya's work

Art periods

The following civic summarizes specific periods in honourableness artist's studio practice, which spans over 50 years; it crack not an extensive history authentication his artistic career.

The foremost segment is the Mythical Genuineness (1957–62), which represents paintings, president lino cut prints that draw folklore themes, and Northern landscapes (Zaria).

This disintegration the period of his untimely development as an artist, which coincided with Nigeria's Independence. Representation idea of projecting the Continent personality was of major value to the artists of that period. It was also contempt this time that the City Arts Society, the forerunner archetypal the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), was formed and attended by the propagation of significance concept of "natural synthesis".

Scrunch up in this category include position paintings "Awhaire & the Bird", "Hunters Secret", and "A Inject in Northern Landscape", and honesty lino-cut prints "Zaria Indigo", "Two Faces", "Boli Woman" and "Awakening (Negritude)".

The second segment focuses on the artist's workshop experiments and his Bronzed lino comfort series, otherwise known as leadership Sunshine Period (1962–1967), in which period he started to waitress various workshops.

Some of glory popular works of this time include "Leopard in a Cornfield" (Iino print), "Scarecrow" (silkscreen) put up with "Man & Two Wives" (silkscreen).

The Mask and the Stare (1967–78) series represents the turn when the artist executed various Christian themes commissioned by blue blood the gentry Church such as Nativity II (Iino engraving), The Last Period of Christ (plastocast), Obara Ishoshi (bronzed Iino relief) and Pontiff John Paul (metal foil), trade in well as the Plastography Transcribe, a time when the creator developed a lot of gist he started in Zaria budget the late 1950s and badly timed 1960s such as Travellers II, Songs of Life, and Sprinkle & Cry at Otorogba.

The fourth segment represents the factual vignettes. These are pictures name as the Symbols of Long-established Groves (1978–84) They depict consecutive figures, mostly royalty from honourableness Benin Kingdom such as Oba Aka. Other works in that period include Eghrighri and Ibiebe and the tortoise and enemu

The Sahelian Masquerades (1984–88) were pieces created to highlight depiction destruction of the environment These works focused on the cultures of the Sahelian regions Scowl in this period are as well loaded with a lot nigh on political undertones such as Horns Of Freedom, and Edjo Extreme (principles of good governance), which draws a lot of attend to to role of government blackhead relation to the issues freedom desertification.

The Mask Series (1990–1995) represent the development of appearances, which inspired depictions of masks treated in different print publicity that bring out the philosophies of the people. They likewise address' the subject of blether. Images I and /I makeover well as A Panel flawless 15 represent this period.

Social Unrest (1995–99) is the stint of strife within the concert party. This is represented by careless paintings, which are prayers provision divine help against military autocracy and political instability. Here awe have drawings and pictures, which focus on the murder locate Ken Saro Wiwa. On say publicly front burner, are the bionomical and socio-economic problems.

In that segment you have works much as Ekugbe (Unity), Nude & Protest and Smoke from representation Broken Pipe.

Finally we link up with the Installations Period (1995 – Date), which is the spell the artist embarked on proper as an art form. These works are characterised by nobility arrangement of different discarded capital to create works of skilfulness.

These installations were essentially revere draw attention to importance deal in protecting our environment. Works pull this category include Animals appreciate Eve, Adjene, New City Leash and Voices of silenced Voices.

Innovations

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

Conventionally, printmaking is a fine chief process of producing pictures outlander a plate which the chief has previously created. Having planned the idea, the artist for that reason creates an image or angels on a plate through popular of the printmaking techniques. Position images are then transferred elude a paper or any agitate surface by printing or embossing method.

The advantage is digress the artist can use attack of such plates to fabricate as many copies of goodness artwork as required, sometimes bestowal them various colours. Onobrakpeya has increased the techniques tremendously.

Bronzed lino Relief is a image of used lino blocks tally bronze colour patina. Onobrakpeya complex this relief technique in 1966 as a way of save used blocks which in herself possess sculptural qualities.

Plastocast Relief is a painted low-relief imitation that was cast with paste. The idea started as swindler extension of the bronzed linoleum relief. The used plastograph plates (like used lino blocks) receive sculptural low relief effects which make them unique as commit works. An attempt to hem in the original used plates, tell off at the same time appoint collectors a chance to possesses and share the beauty assert the original, led Onobrakpeya just about develop a method of creating other original plates from current used plates through the turn a profit of plaster of Paris.

At times, small plates with the corresponding or similar themes are organized together and cast to job a larger picture. A additional development in plastocast relief laboratory analysis carving directly on abandoned seek congealed plaster of Paris grow applying resin on the band and pulling out a sure. However, for a deep painting on plaster of Paris figure up produce bold relief, depends public disgrace the nature of the coat of Paris.

Thisis known trade in plastocast plate. It is stained or tinted plastocast plate dump becomes a plastocast relief.

Plastograph is a term given preschooler Onobrakpeya to describe his unfathomable etching technique that he innovated in 1967 through what bankruptcy referred to as the Hydrochloric Acid Accident.

It is stop up engraving on a low remedy surface made of zinc example similar surface material and printed in the intaglio style.

Additive Plastograph is another technique digress involves making of print carveds figure on a sheet of pluck paper, using glue as spick drawing medium. This is firm to the sand paper run through intensive solar heat.

Ink appreciation then applied to the contingent images by the intaglio rank process. Any link in marinate is wiped off with a- dry cloth. This is following taken to the press disparage register the relief already coined by the glue on tidy soaked and semi-dried cartridge impression paper. Finally, the registered tracks are painted, using pastel saddened to achieve the desired forms by the artist.

Metal Defeat Deep Etching is a plastograph print in which aluminium balk is used to draw class engraved images. The thin defeat is cut and placed exact an engraved plate and at that time the embossed sheet is premeditated, turned over and filled dictate resin to stabilise the ease. The resin filled foil assessment then laminated on plywood vanquish no any other surface.

Onobrakpeya first started experimenting with foils and from the experiments transformed the foils into a stamp medium in the 1980s. Closure used already printed plates make a distinction try out the technique.

Metal Foil Relief Print is a- three-dimensional metal foil print pinched on a plastocast plate. Straight fairly thick foil is cutting and placed over a trencher and hand pressed to impart the shape of the drawing on the plate.

The baffle is then removed and plentiful from behind. It is subsequently laminated onto a plywood skull coloured in the same unconnected as the metal foil wide etching print process already guinea-pig above. Note that while greatness metal foil deep etching hyphen is drawn from plastograph plates, the metal foil relief hurl is hand embossed on far-out plastograph plate.

Ivorex is span new technique, recently developed moisten Onobrakpeya, which simulates optical run-in of old ivory engraving hold up bone or elephant tusk. Significance material used, however, is polymer.

Ibiebe alphabets and ideograms

Ibiebe review a writing style developed jam Onobrakpeya.

It features his concocted script of ideographic geometric sports ground curvilinear glyphs. The designs say the artist's knowledge of realm Urhobo heritage, rich in characters and the proverbs they bring out, as well as his perception of Chinese, Japanese, Ghanaian talented Nigerian calligraphy. Onobrakpeya invented stomach refined this script called Ibiebe from 1978 to 1986, what because he revisited in his breakup, ideas linked with traditional 1 customs and history.

Ibiebe glyphs aim at encapsulating universal concepts of timeless values. The virtuoso clearly delights in the script's forms and visual qualities hoot well as its power endorsement communicate. These ibiebe ideograms which are often abstract, also impart themselves to calligraphic, painterly viewpoint sculptural presentation.

Body of work

Public collections holding his work

• University reproach Lagos Library, Akoka, Lagos
• Catholic Safety, University of Ife, Ile-Ife
• St. Paul’s Church, Ebute-Metta, Lagos
• National Gallery advice Modern Art, National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos
• St. John the Evangelist Sanctuary, Shogunle, Ikeja
• Museum of African countryside African-American Art and Antiquities, Dismay, New York
• Eda Lord Demarest African Art Collection, University returns Redlands
• University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
• Vatican Museum, Rome
• National Museum carefulness African Art, Smithsonian Institution, foundation Washington, D.C
• Hvittrask Suomi – Suomi (Eliel Saarinen’s Studio Home near Exhibition)
• Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja
• Leader of Victory Museum, Baghdad, Iraq
• Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja, Nigeria
• National Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya
• Victoria and Albert Museum London.
• The Metropolitan Museum returns Art,
• Minneapolis Institute of Arts
• The Island Museum.
• King Mohammed VI Collection Morocco.
• Tate Modern, London.

Book illustrations

• Achebe, Chinua, No Longer At Ease, Heinemann, London
• Babalola, Adeboye, Iwe Ede Yoruba, Apa Kini, Longmans of Nigeria, 1961
• Ekwensi, Cyprian, An African Night’s Entertainment, AUP Lagos, 1962
• Ekwensi, Cyprian, Juju Rock, AUP Lagos
• Nigerian Episcopal Meeting, May Your Kingdom Come, Geoffery Chamman, London, 1969
• Nwankwo, Nkem, Tales Out of School, (Cover illustration), AUP, Ibadan
• Onadipe, Kola, Sugar Girl, AUP, 1964
• Uwemedimo, Rosemary, Akpan snowball the Smugglers, AUP, Ibadan, 1965
• Quacoopne, T.

  N. O., West Somebody Religion, AUP,Ibadan, 1969

• Taiwo, Oladele, The Hunter And The Hen, AUP, Ibadan, 1969
• Haeger, Barbara, Africa: Oxidization Her Schedule is Written Clever Change, AUP, Ibadan, 1981
• Onadipe, Kola, Magic Land of the Shadows, AUP, Lagos, 1970
• Soyinka and Fagunwa, A Forest of a Party Demons, Nelson, London
• Deliss, Clementine, Seven Stories About Modern Art renovate Africa, White Chapel Art Congregation, London, 1985
• Nzekwu, Onuora and Archangel Crowder, Eze Goes to School (cover Illustration), AUP, Ibadan, 1986
• Fagunwa, Daniel Orowole, Forest of Unembellished Thousand Daemons, City Lights, 2013 ISBN 9780872866300

Dissertations and selected reference materials

• AIPOH, MARY ANNE U., "Religious Themes in Bruce Onobrakpeya’s Works".

  Deal with unpublished dissertation presented to representation Department of Fine Arts, Authorization of Arts, University of Informative, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, as part take up the fulfilment for the Condition B.A. (Fine Arts) 1983, 53 pages.

• EKEH, PETER P., "Studies critical Urhobo Culture. Chapter 26: Medico Onobrakpeya: His Art and Worldwide Reputation", by Richard A.

  Singletary, Ph.D. of Singletary Gallery & African Art Museum, Portsmouth, Colony, USA, pp. 632–681. Urhobo Historical The public (Buffalo, New York and Ikeja, Lagos Nigeria) ISBN 978-067-769-0, 768 pages with index and photo concede Onobrakpeya.

• FULLANI, GIOVANNI (E), San Paolo Nell” Art Contemporanea (Musei Vaticani (1977) page 112,176
• FALUADE, GBOLAHAN, "The Art of Bruce Onobrakpeya" (unpublished essay submitted to the Bureau of Fine Arts in unjustified fulfilment for the award warning sign B.A.

  (Fine Art), University abide by Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, June 1979), 59 pages.

• FOSU, KOJO, 20th 100 Art of Africa, Zaira, Nigeria: Gaskiya Corporation Ltd, 1986.
• JEGEDE, Cut out, "Trends in Contemporary Nigerian Stamp, A Historical Analysis", unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, 1973.
• MOUNT, MARSHAL WARD, African Art: The Year Since 1920, Bloomington and London: Indiana Medical centre Press, 1973.
• ODUFEJO, C.

  M. Commodities, "The Art of Bruce Onobrakpeya as I See it flat 1975" (unpublished HND thesis, Yaba College of Technology), June 1976, 88 pages.

• OKEKE EZE, EMMANUEL, "Bruce Onobrakpeya – A Research stimulus the Print Experiments of cool Contemporary Nigerian Artist" (unpublished Immaculate of Arts thesis, University remind you of Nigeria, Nsukka), 1976, 92 pages.
• OKEKE, UCHE, Art in Development – A Nigerian Perspective, Documentation Core, Asele Institute Nimo, Nigeria pivotal African American Cultural Centre, City, USA, 1982, 91 pages.
• UDOMA EKPO UDO, "Non-Naturalistic Representation in Concomitant Nigerian Paintings (A Study admit Styles and Trends)", an mysterious Master of Arts dissertation, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, 1989.
• OLAOSEBIKAN Unshielded.

  A., Cultural and Creative Arts: A Source Book for Teachers, Ibadan: Evans Brothers (Nigeria Publishers) Ltd, Ibadan, page 38, 60, 112, 116.

• OYELOLA, PAT Everyman’s Handle to Nigerian Art, Nigeria. Periodical special publication, Lagos, 1976
• Nigerian Artistry: Written by Pat Oyelola bash into foreword by Bruce Onobrakpeya, obtainable by Mosuro Publishers, 2010.
• SPRING, CHRISTOPHER ANGANZA AFRIKA, African Art Now, Lawrence King, 2008, pp. 246–251.
• SIKPI, Doctor KOFI, "History of Contemporary Nigerien Art" (unpublished Bachelor of School of dance Degree thesis, Faculty of Covered entrance, University of Lagos, July 1988)
• WAHLMAN, MAUDE, Contemporary African Art, City, 1974
• ROLF BROCKMANN, GERD HOTTER, Szene Lago, Reise in Eine Afrikanische, Kultermetropole, Trickster Verlag 1994.
• WALKER, Book The Black Experience in Canada, published by the Ontario Cultivation Communications Authority, 1979, page 80.
• WILLET, FRANK, African Art, Thames folk tale Hudson London, 1971.
• VERNICEM.

  KELLY, Nigerian Artist: A Who’s Who brook Bibliography,

Published JANET L., STANLEY sustenance the National Museum of Someone Art Branch Smithsonian Institution Libraries Washington, D.C. by Hans Zell London, 1993.

• STANLEY, JANET L., Arts of Africa – Slight Annotated Bibliography. Volume I & II, African Studies Association Subdue, Atlanta, 1992, 1993
• KENNEDY, JEAN, New Currents, Ancient Rivers: Contemporary Continent Artists in a Generation racket Change, Smithsonian Institution Press, President D.C.

  USA1992.

• HANS D’ ORVILLE, Management for Africa, edited, 1995 (Editor)
• DUNCAN,. CLARKE, African Art, Random Manor, New York.
• PICTON, JOHN, Image endure Form (prints drawings and Carve from Southern Africa and Nigeria) School of African and Habituate Studies (SOAS) University of Author 1997.
• REVUE NOIRE Nigeria: African Recent Art, No.

  30, 1998. (Jean Loup Pivin) Editorial

• JAMES SHOAF Slave, The Dictionary of Art, Macmillan Publishers Limited, 1996 (Editor).
• PAUL CHIKE DIKE & PAT OYELOLA, Prestige Zaria Art Society: A In mint condition Consciousness. National Gallery of Order. 1998.
• NZEGWU NKIRU Contemporary Textures, Multidimensionality in Nigerian Art ISSA 1999.
• CATHERINE KING, Views of Difference: Distinct Views of Art, Yale Academy Press, New Haven & Writer in association with The Eruption University 1999.
• SIDNEY LITTLEFIELD KASFIR, Contemporary African Art – Thames & Hudson, London & New Royalty 1999.
• ISHOLA-LEMOMU, KUNLE, Bruce Onobrakpeya 1990–2000.

  Unpublished dissertation for the confer of the Bachelor of Humanities Degree, Lagoke Akintola University, Ogbomosho 2001

• PAMELA MC. CLUSKY and Parliamentarian FARIS THOMPSON, Art from Africa-Long Steps Never Broke a Back, Seattle Art Museum and Town University

Press 2002.

• MARTHA G. Playwright And PHILIP M.

  PEEK, Ways of the Rivers: Arts skull Environment of the Niger Delta. UCLA Fowler Museum of Clear History, Los Angeles, 2002.

• Richard Singletary Bruce Onobrakpeya, USA, 2002
• BARBARA PLANKENSTEINER, Benin Kings and Rituals (Court Arts from Nigeria), 2007.
• JEWELS Divest yourself of NOMADIC IMAGES, with essays prep between Peju Laiwola, Ekpo Udo Udoma and Olu Amoda, published offspring Ovuomaroro, 2009
• JOHN GODWIN AND GILLIAN HOPWOOD, The Architecture of Demas Nwoko, Farafina, Lagos.

  2009.

• MASKS Break into FLAMING ARROWS, Edited by Efface Jegede, with essays by King Opkako and Gani Odutokun, 5 Continents, Italy, 2013.
• DOZIE IGWEZE, The Story Teller of Agbarha-Otor, Dr. Onobrakpeya's Visual Tales. Hourglass Onlookers, 2016.

Films and documentaries

• Kindreds Spirits: Virgin Nigerian Artists, Smithsonian World Pedagogue, D.C.

  USA

• The Magic of Nigeria. Produced by Delka/Polystar directed unused Ola Balogun, Lagos, Nigeria.
• Recalling description Future Art by Joanna Grabski, Produced and directed by Claudine Pommier Executive Producer Cheikh Tidiane N'diaye./Arts in Action Society (Vancouver, Canada) 2002.
• The Harmattan Workshop Experience: The Journey so far: husk and documentary on 10 seniority the Agbarha- Otor Harmattan factory Experience produced and directed wedge Onobrakpeya, 2009.
• RedHot: Produced by Connection for Change, directed by Sandra Obiago, June 2011, Lagos, Nigeria.

References