Cathy's Art Diary

Dense exhibition at Tate Modern examining modern art in Nigeria before and after independence. There was a lot to get across in this show and at times it was difficult to tell if it was an art exhibition or a history one. It was also hung thickly, often with works which we’re very similar to each other, which diluted their effect. I liked the way it was arranged by school or artist giving a good chronology but with overlaps. My favourite room, despite the hang, was the one dedicated to Ben Enwonwu, the first African modernist to gain international recognition. I was particularly intrigued by the seven sculptures down the centre of the room which my eye read as a choir which turned out to have been commissioned for the headquarters of the Daily Mirror. I liked the inclusion of a potter, Ladi Kwali. Favourite pieces included Bruce Onobrakpeya’s “Last Supper” and “Stations of the Cross” hung to resemble an altarpiece, Jimo Akolo’s colourful picture of Fulani horsemen and   Uzo ...

Enlightening little exhibition at the British Museum exploring standing stones, akwanshi or “ancestors in the ground”, from Nigeria. The exhibition centred, literally, around a figure from the museum’s collection and used it to discuss the importance of these figures, often found in circles facing each other which share distinctive features and rich decoration. Some are still used in the annual New Yam festival to celebrate a successful harvest. The show also highlighted recent work to digitally survey the existing works and record their physical condition and the environmental issues they face. It looks at the provenance of the British Museum’s example which had been bought in the 1930s before the export of Nigerian antiquities was prohibited and the history of fakes made for the European market in Cameroon. Closed 26 March 2023