Sokari Douglas Camp facts for kids

Sokari Douglas Camp CBE (born in 1958 in Nigeria) is a talented artist who lives in London. Her amazing sculptures have been shown in art galleries all over the world. She even received a special award called the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2005.

About Her Life and Art

Her Early Life and Studies

Sokari Douglas Camp was born in a town called Buguma in Nigeria. This town is part of the Kalabari people in the Niger Delta. She was raised by her brother-in-law, who was an anthropologist (someone who studies human societies and cultures).

She loved art from a young age. She studied art at the California College of Arts and Crafts in the United States from 1979 to 1980. After that, she moved to London. There, she earned her first degree at the Central School of Art and Design (1980–1983). She then got her master's degree from the Royal College of Art (1983–1986).

Her Amazing Art and Career

Sokari Douglas Camp is famous for her sculptures made mostly from steel. Her art often shows her Kalabari heritage and other Nigerian cultures. She also gets ideas from her life in the UK.

Her sculptures are so important that they are kept in famous museums. You can find her work in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian and the British Museum. Other museums in Europe, Britain, and Japan also have her art. Many private collectors around the world own her pieces too. She has shown her art in many countries, including Austria, Cuba, France, Germany, Japan, and the United States.

Corten Head sculpture by Camp, made of steel.

Some of her most well-known solo shows include Spirits in Steel – The Art of the Kalabari Masquerade. This show was at the American Museum of Natural History in New York from 1998 to 1999. Another important show was Imagined Steel in Manchester in 2002. This show then traveled to other galleries in the UK.

In 2005, she worked with a TV show called Ground Force. Together, they created art for the Africa Garden at the British Museum. This was part of a big festival called Africa 05.

In 2003, Sokari Douglas Camp was chosen as a finalist for a special project. Her idea, NO-O-War No-O-War-R, was considered for the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square in London. This is a famous spot for public art.

She has also created many public sculptures to remember important events or people. One of her most famous is Battle Bus: The Living Memorial to Ken Saro-Wiwa (2006). In 2012, her sculpture All the World is Now Richer was shown in The House of Commons. This artwork was made to remember slavery.

Her sculpture Green Leaf Barrel (2014) was inspired by her home, the Niger Delta. This area faces problems like not enough jobs and a lot of pollution. The sculpture shows a woman god making new life grow from an oil barrel that has been split open. When she made this piece, Sokari wanted to focus on hope and positive change.

More recently, her show Sokari Douglas Camp CBE: Jonkonnu - Masquerade was at the October Gallery in 2022. This exhibition explored the art of masquerade from Africa and other parts of the world.

Her Personal Life

Sokari Douglas Camp is married to an architect named Alan Camp. She has lived in London for many years.

Awards and Honors

Sokari Douglas Camp has received many awards for her artistic achievements:

• 1981: Amy Sadur Friedlander Prize
• 1982: Saatchi & Saatchi Award
• 1983: Princess of Wales Scholarship and Henry Moore Foundation bursary
• 2000: Commonwealth Grant
• 2005: Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) – a very high honor in the UK
• 2006: Honorary Fellow of the University of the Arts London
• 2008: Governor, University of the Arts
• 2017: Honorary Fellowship of SOAS, University of London

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