Nigeria’s artistic revolution takes the spotlight at Abu Dhabi Art

Nigeria’s independence on October 1, 1960, set off creative ripples across the country. Artists shook away the colonial narratives that had been forced upon them, returning to indigenous aesthetics and philosophies, re-examining them with novel sensibilities.

One movement that exemplified this cultural reclamation was the Osogbo School, which was founded by German scholar Ulli Beier and Austrian artist Susanne Wenger in the late 1950s. But it was after Nigeria gained its independence that the artists associated with the school began producing works that would go on to influence the African continent at large.

Several works from this period are on display at Abu Dhabi Art, in a section developed in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy of Nigeria.

The pieces draw from Yoruba motifs and aesthetics, applying them within a Modernist context that still feel distinctly contemporary. Works by Twins Seven Seven – for instance, Annunciation (1972) and An Ancient Goje Flute Player (1979) – show his ingenious approach to painting on stacked board, giving a kaleidoscopic sensation of depth.

Jimoh Buraimoh’s works are another example, including Ogbori Elemosho (the head of the famous king), painted in 1976, and Merry Makers from 1981. Both pieces exhibit his unique visual approach with rounded figurative forms and rippling earth tones.

Adebisi Fabunmi is represented by a pair of works.

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