Ben Enwonwu facts for kids

Odinigwe Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu (born July 14, 1917 – died February 5, 1994), known to many as Ben Enwonwu, was a famous Nigerian painter and sculptor. He is often called the most important African artist of the 20th century. His amazing work helped modern African art become well-known around the world.

Ben Enwonwu was one of the first African artists to get praise from art critics. His art was shown in important galleries in Europe and the United States. He was even listed in international books about modern art. From the 1950s, people called him "Africa's Greatest Artist." His fame helped support movements for Black people's rights globally. There's even a crater on the planet Mercury named Enwonwu in his honor!

Biography of Ben Enwonwu

His Early Life and Family

Ben Enwonwu was born on July 14, 1917, in Onitsha, Nigeria. He was a twin. His family was important in their community. His father, Omenka Odigwe Emeka Enwonwu, was a skilled technician who worked for the Royal Niger Company. He was also a respected traditional sculptor. He made special staffs, stools, decorated doors, and religious statues. Ben's mother, Chinyelugo Iyom Nweze, was a very successful cloth seller.

When his father passed away in 1921, Ben inherited his tools. He continued to practice carving in the style of his Igbo culture. His father had first noticed and encouraged Ben's early talent for art.

Ben Enwonwu's Education

Between 1921 and 1931, Ben Enwonwu went to five different primary schools. In 1933, he attended St. Patrick's School, Ibusa. Later, he went to Government College, Ibadan, and finished high school at Government College Umuahia in 1937.

At both colleges, he studied fine art with Kenneth C. Murray. Murray was an education officer who managed art education for the government. He later became the director of old artifacts. Ben became Murray's assistant and was seen as one of his most talented students. Studying with Murray was the start of Ben's formal art education.

In 1944, Ben received a scholarship from Shell Petroleum Company and the British Council. This allowed him to study at the famous Slade School of Fine Art in London. In 1945, he also studied at the Ruskin School in Oxford. In 1947, he earned a top diploma in fine art from the Slade. He then studied anthropology, focusing on West African cultures, at the University of London. He finished his studies in 1948.

Some say that the unfair treatment he faced in England made him interested in studying different cultures. In 1937, Murray showed Enwonwu's art at the Zwemmer Gallery in London. In 1969, Ben received an honorary doctorate degree from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria.

His Amazing Career

After working with Kenneth Murray for many years, Ben Enwonwu became a teacher at the Government College of Umuahia. He later taught art at other schools, including a mission school in Calabar (1940–41) and Edo College in Benin City (1941–43).

From 1948, he became an art adviser to the Nigerian government. After 1950, he traveled and gave talks in the United States. He also took on many art projects as a freelance artist. He held many art exhibitions in cities like London, Lagos, Milan, New York City, Washington D.C., and Boston.

In 1956, Queen Elizabeth II visited Nigeria. She asked Ben Enwonwu to create a portrait sculpture of her. He showed this bronze sculpture at an exhibition in London in 1957. In 1959, Enwonwu was made a Supervisor in Nigeria's Information Service Department.

He was also a fellow at Lagos University (1966–68). He served as a cultural adviser to the Nigerian government (1968–71). In 1971, he was a visiting artist at Howard University in Washington, DC. From 1971 to 1975, he became the first professor of Fine Arts at the University of Ife in Ile-Ife. He also worked as an art consultant for the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in Lagos in 1977.

Ben Enwonwu created portraits of many Nigerians for private clients. He also illustrated The Brave African Huntress by Amos Tutuola. He had an art studio in London. He was a member of the Royal Anthropological Institute and the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

Ben Enwonwu's Impact on Modern Art

During his time, Ben Enwonwu was highly respected as an artist. His art is known as a "unique form of African modernism." His work helped create a new space in art history. It showed that modern art could be different from the usual European style. His bronze sculpture of the Queen proved that an African modern artist could create new ideas about art and artistic identity.

One of his famous paintings is a portrait of the Ife princess Adetutu Ademiluyi (called "Tutu"). He painted it in 1973, but it went missing in 1975. In 2017, it was found in a London apartment! It was sold for a lot of money at an auction. The "Tutu" portrait is a Nigerian national treasure. It is seen as a symbol of peace after the civil war.

Another painting by Enwonwu, called "Owo Market," shows a market scene in the Nigerian city of Owo. This painting, from 1949, was restored on a TV show called The Repair Shop in 2019. The painting's owner knew Enwonwu and described him as a kind man who always wore a flower.

Notable Works by Ben Enwonwu

• 1951 – Portrait of Chief Candido Joao Da Rocha: This painting was shown at FESTAC LAGOS in 1977.
• 1956 – Bronze sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II.
• 1964 – Sango: This artwork shows the Yoruba god of lightning and thunder.
• 1967 – Ogbanje: You can see this artwork at the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art. Many more of Ben Enwonwu's works are displayed there.
• 1971 – Christine: This painting was sold in 2019 for $1.4 million.
• 1973 – Tutu.
• 1986 – Risen Christ: This sculpture was displayed at the University of Ibadan. Sadly, it was damaged due to political and religious tensions.

Ben Enwonwu's art is also displayed at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Lagos. You can also see his works online at the Virtual Museum of Modern Nigerian Art.

Awards and Honors

• 1944 – Shell Petroleum Scholarship: This allowed him to study in the United Kingdom.
• 1954 – National Merit Award: For his excellent academic and intellectual achievements in Nigeria.
• 1958 – Commonwealth Certificate in London: For his important contributions to art, given by the Royal Institute of Art.
• 1958 – Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
• 1971 – Officer of the National Order of the Republic in Senegal.
• 1980 – National Order of Merit in Nigeria: For his contributions to art in Nigeria.

Images for kids

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  Boy (c. 1945) at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC

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  "Dogari", 1949

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  "Father and Son"

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  "Fulani Girl of Rupp", 1949

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  "Head of Hausa", 1958

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  "Head of Yoruba Girl"

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  "Man with Banana Leaf"

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  "Nkatamuo"

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  "Waterside Scene", 1950

See also

In Spanish: Ben Enwonwu para niños