Artist Viktor Ekpuk discovered that the symbols of the Nsibidi script could function as a form of abstraction — a way to reduce ideas to their essence.
Nigeria
Posted inOpinion
David Frum, “Axis of Evil” Speechwriter, Should Shut Up About Benin Bronzes
Liberal establishment darling David Frum mocks repatriation efforts as a “ritual of self-purification through purgation.”
Posted inOpinion
Where a New African Museum Fits in a Post-colonial World
The question remains: Is an African museum, designed by an African architect, capable of undoing the institutional violence that it has inherited?
Posted inNews
Smithsonian Announces Landmark Decision to Repatriate Benin Bronzes
The institution says it will return most of the 39 artifacts in its collection to Nigeria for eventual display at the Benin City National Museum.
Posted inHistory
Why the Mbari Houses in Nigeria Became Extinct
Although the tradition of Mbari houses can never be revived, their rich history and broader influence on modernism in Africa is profound.
Posted inNews
The Met Will Repatriate Two Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
Critics note that the Met has failed to address the hundreds of other works from Benin that remain in its collection.
Posted inOpinion
How a New Nigerian Museum Can Help Repatriate the Benin Bronzes
Nigeria’s business leaders will have to give generously; politicians will have to put rivalries aside; and contemporary artists will have to embrace the project.
Posted inNews
Path Toward Restitution of Benin Bronzes Advances in Germany and UK
Thousands of objects were looted from present-day Nigeria by British troops in a punitive mission in 1897.
Posted inNews
A Sculptor and Former Special Effects Artist Is Paving the Way in Prosthetics for Darker Skin Tones
John Amanam began crafting impressive replicas of human body parts after his brother lost part of his hand, and has served nearly 200 customers in two years.
Posted inComics
“Time, My Old Friend, She Has Changed”: An Artist’s Reflections on Quarantine
A comic artist speaks to artists across the world to see how they — and their practices — have been holding up.
Posted inNews
ART X Lagos Fair Postponed in Solidarity With #EndSARS Protesters
Thousands of Nigerians have protested against a federal police unit called the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), which is accused of brutality and abuse of power.
Posted inIn Brief
Nigeria’s First Oscar Contender Disqualified for Mostly English Dialogue
Social media has come to the defense of Genevieve Nnaji’s Lionheart, which was disqualified from competing in the newly renamed category of Best International Feature Film, formerly known as the Best Foreign Language Film.
