Uzo Egonu

British-Nigerian artist (1931–1996)

Uzo Egonu // (25 December 1931 – 14 August 1996) na he be Nigerian-born artist wey settle insyd Britain insyd de 1940s,[1] only once wey he return go ein homeland for two days insyd de 1970s,[2] although he remain concerned plus African political struggles.[3] According to Rasheed Araeen, na Egonu "perhaps be de first person from Africa, Asia anaa de Caribbean wey cam Britain after de War plus de sole intention say he go cam turn artist."[4] According to critic Molara Wood, "Egonu ein work merge European den Igbo traditions but chaw significantly, place Africa as de touchstone of modernism. In combining de visual languages of Western den African art, he help redefine de boundaries of modernism, thereby e challenge de European myth of de naïve, primitive African artist.""[5]

Uzo Egonu
human
Ein sex anaa gendermale Edit
Country wey e be citizenNigeria Edit
Ein date of birth25 December 1931 Edit
Place dem born amOnitsha Edit
Date wey edie14 August 1996 Edit
Place wey edieLondon Edit
Ein occupationpainter, printmaker, designer Edit
Educate forCamberwell College of Arts Edit
Copyright representativereproduction right not represented by CISAC member Edit
Has works in the collectionTate, Metropolitan Museum of Art Edit
Copyright status as creatorworks protected by copyrights Edit
Personal pronounL485 Edit

Ein Biography

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Dem born am insyd Onitsha,[1] Nigeria, na Egonu dey ein early teens wey for 1945 he first travel go England.[2] He already start dey draw as na he dey attend Sacred Heart College, Calabar,[6] before he lef go UK, he eventually study Fine Arts den Typography for Camberwell School of Arts den Crafts, London,[1][3] from 1949 go 1952,[7] wey he go participate insyd sam number of exhibitions.[2]

For later years insyd he suffer two heart attacks den deteriorating eyesight, wey for 14 August 1996 insyd he die for London.[8]

Ein Style den legacy

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De subject of study by Olu Oguibe entitled Uzo Egonu: An African Artist insyd de West (1995), dem sana dey Egonu sana dey describe as "perhaps Africa ein greatest modern painter".[7][9] Eddie Chambers comment for Egonu ein "remarkable ability say he go fi render landscapes den cityscapes as compelling den fascinating geometrical configurations, each very different insyd ein representational aspects."[10] Ein work feature insyd de 2015–16 exhibition No Colour Bar: Black British Art in Action 1960–1990 for de Guildhall Art Gallery, City of London.[11]

Ein Selected exhibitions

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Ein Solo
  • 2004: Uzo Egonu ein London, Museum of London, London[5]
  • 1997: Uzo Egonu: Past den Present insyd de Diaspora, InIVA[12]
  • 1986: Uzo Egonu Now 1986: Stateless People, Royal Festival Hall, London
Ein Group
  • 2015: No Colour Bar: Black British Art insyd Action 1960–1990, Guildhall Art Gallery, London
  • 2001: De Short Century, Villa Stuck, Munich, Germany; House of World Cultures, Berlin, Germany
  • 1997: Transforming de Crown: African, Asian den Caribbean Artists insyd Britain 1966–1996, New York City[13][14]
  • 1990: Herbert Art Gallery den Museum, Coventry
  • 1989: De Other Story: Afro-Asian Artists insyd Post-War Britain, Hayward Gallery, London
  • 1986: Third World Within, Brixton Art Gallery, London (31 March–22 April)[15]
  • 1975: Ljubljana Graphic Art Biennial, Graphic Art Biennial, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • 1973: Commonwealth Institute Art Gallery, London

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Uzo Egonu", Diaspora Artists.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Ulrich Clewing, "Three hues for Piccadilly Circus" Archived 16 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Culturebase.net, 22 June 2003.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Uzo Egonu, Artist", InIVA.
  4. Rasheed Araeen, "Recovering Cultural Metaphors", The Other Story catalog, 1989, p. 86.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Molara Wood, "Uzo Egonu's Vision of London", 30 September 2005. First published in The Guardian, Lagos, on 19 December 2004.
  6. Rasheed Araeen, "Uzo Egonu 1931–1996", Third Text, Volume 10, Issue 36, 1996, pp. 105–106. DOI:10.1080/09528829608576634.
  7. 7.0 7.1 " The Creative Case for Diversity in Britain > Further reading on the Artists", Third Text: Critical Perspectives on Contemporary Art and Culture.
  8. "Monographs on African Artists| Egonu, Uzo, 1931–1996", Smithsonian Libraries.
  9. "EGONU, Uzo - Artist Profile (1931 – 1996)" Archived 2 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Grosvenor Gallery.
  10. Chambers (2014), p. 60.
  11. FHALMA (Friends of the Huntley Archives) at London Metropolitan Archives, "The Artists' Profiles" Archived 25 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Huntleys Online.
  12. "Uzo Egonu: Past and Present in the Diaspora", InIVA (11 October – 13 June).
  13. Chambers (2014), pp. 6, 8.
  14. Holland Cotter, "ART REVIEW; This Realm of Newcomers, This England", The New York Times, 24 October 1997.
  15. Chambers (2014), p. 49.

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