Why You Must Own a Piece of Ben Enwonwu’s Works
Odinigwe Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu, popularly known as Ben Enwonwu, is regarded by many as the pioneer of African modernism.
Early Life
Ben was born in 1917 in Onitsha. His mother ran a successful textile business and his father retired as a technical assistant and was known by the Nigerian community to be a reputable sculptor. It was from the teachings of his father he grew his interest in African art as Ben learned his early carving skills from him.
Being true to his craft, Ben Enwonwu took a step further by studying fine arts at the Government College in 1934. Because of his pedigree, craftmanship, and all-around finishing, he received a scholarship to study in the UK in 1944, where he attended Goldsmiths College and the Slade School of Fine Arts. While he was studying, Ben took his time to learn and understand the European art movements such as Symbolism and Fauvism. If you look closely, because of his exposure to the European art scene, Ben demonstrates his ability to combine European techniques studied in school with his early training in traditional Igbo aesthetics, which he learned from his father.
After his adventure overseas, Ben returned to Nigeria in 1948 to begin his federally appointed position of Art Supervisor of the Colonial Office, a position that was well deserved. After this, he continued his practice in Nigeria, and after, he got thrown into the limelight in 1949 as he was declared by Ebony Magazine as “Africa’s greatest artist.”
His Achievements
According to scholars, he was Arguably the most influential African artist of the 20th century, as many regards his pioneering career as the doorway to the postcolonial proliferation and increased visibility of modern African art.
He was one of the first African artists to win critical acclaim, having exhibited in August exhibition spaces in Europe and the United States and listed in international directories of contemporary art. Since 1950, Ben was celebrated as “Africa’s Greatest Artist” by the international media, and his fame was used to enlist support for the Black Nationalists movement all over the world. The “Enwonwu crater,” on the planet Mercury is named in his honour.
Among his many accolades, Enwonwu was awarded an MBE in 1955 by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to the arts. The following year he became the first African artist to receive a royal commission when The Queen sat for a bronze sculpture, positioned at the entrance of the Lagos Parliament Buildings. In 1980 Enwonwu was awarded the National Order of Merit by the Nigerian government for his invaluable contribution to the country’s arts and culture scene.
Why You Should Buy His Paintings
Spanning close to 60 years, Ben’s career followed one of the most important periods of Modern Nigerian history; the journey from a British colony to a newly independent African nation, which is the Nigeria we see today. Nigeria gained independence from the United Kingdom on 1 October 1960, and with it, the country was in search of a new post-colonial identity. Ben became an advocate for a new Nigerian national culture and in 1968 the artist became the cultural advisor to the newly formed Nigerian government. Ben’s reputation reached far and wide as the artist’s works were even used to support Black liberation movements in Africa, Europe, and most especially, the USA.
Ben exhibited alongside prominent European modernists at the “Musée d’Art Moderne,” in Paris and started to attract international attention after participating in an exhibition at London’s Berkley Galleries in 1947. This was followed by a series of shows in New York, Boston, and Howard University in Washington DC in 1950, and in the same year, the artist held a major exhibition at Gallery Apollinaire in Milan. Ben’s works have also been included in exhibitions in prominent museums such as the Tate, National Gallery of Lagos, and Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in D.C.
With all these said, it is safe to say that owning an Artwork by Ben would not only mean owning a piece of important history but also the return-on-investment potential is next to none. Fortunately for you, you can own a fraction of his works on the ARTSPLIT platform has listed seven of his works. They include, “Fulani,” “Group of Figures,” “Ogolo (agbogho Mmuo),” “Ogolo in Motion,” “Portrait of a Woman in Blue,” “Repeat of 1939 Picture,” and “Water.”
ARTSPLIT is an art trading technology company driven by one common goal; enhancing the investment status of African art by allowing users to co-own rare and valuable artworks on a platform that guarantees price discovery and market liquidity.
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