11

EARLY EXPONENTS OF PYROGRAPHY FROM THE NSUKKA ART SCHOOL

Dr. Chijioke Onuora Department of Fine and Applied Arts University of Nigeria, Nsukka

Abstract For over thirty years, the Nsukka Art School has championed the production of antique-looking works using fire and heat. Known as pyrography, this technique of intervention has a modern approach which was pioneered by El Anatsui, a Ghanaian born but Nsukka based sculptor. Since its major outing at the inaugural exhibition of the Aka group of exhibiting artists in 1986, pyrography practice has expanded both in content and styles. This attempts to put in proper historical perspective, contributions of other sculptors of the Nsukka Art School who practiced the pyrography sculpture intervention technique between 1986 and 1996. By so doing, it becomes possible to historically and stylistically situate the contributions of such artists to the development of this sculpture production technique within the period under study. Key words: Exponents of Pyrography, Nsukka art school, Sculpture, El Anatsui.

Introduction: Nsukka Sculpture Before Anatsui Pyrography as a technique of artistic intervention flourished in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka art scene as a result of El Anatsui’s major efforts in its propagation. Before this creative revolution, there existed two major waves of creative influences on sculpture production in Nsukka Art department, namely the pre civil war and post civil war or Uche Okeke influences. It was the Uche Okeke era, that prepared the ground for the planting and development of what could be called the El Anatsui era. The pre-civil war study of sculpture in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka was fashioned after the academic art traditions of Europe and America. Its curriculum content favoured naturalistic interpretation of forms, using materials and techniques of the Western academy system, and therefore produced artists who, stripped of their traditional art culture, were only able to produce classical western forms that lacked African sculptural energy. Samuel Nwafor, Augustine Agbada, Ugo Anyanwu and C. Ehirim were some of the sculpture graduates of this period. After graduation, not much was heard of these sculptors since they were artistically inactive during the civil war period between 1967 and 1970. Immediately after the civil war, some students and staff who survived the war came back to the art school that had already acquired a new name, the Department of Fine and Applied Arts under Uche Okeke as head of department. Among the few lecturers who returned in 1970 to teach in the department were Mr. E.C. Oluigbo, who took charge of the sculpture, and Mr. Uko Akpaide who was employed later. These lecturers also seem to be products of the old order who maintained the status quo until Uche Okeke’s influence began to take root. It would therefore be correct to say that the foundation of true modern sculpture in the Nsukka art school was laid when Uche Okeke joined the teaching staff of the department in the early 1970s. He did so by putting into practice the ideology of ‘natural syntheses’ of the Zaria Art Society. This “synthesis of old and new, of functional art and art for its own sake” (Jegede, 2002) is the harmonization of Nigeria’s realistic cultural elements with those meaningful ones from the West (Oloidi, 2002) Uche Okeke, after convincing the university administration to allow him draw up a programme that would deeply reflect on African art and culture, established an art programme with a strong theoretical base, and also explored the traditional Igbo Uli cultural idiom in both Fine and Applied art areas. Both the lecturers and the students were drawn to this highly influential man of

Nsukka Journal of the Humanities, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2015

12

vision and together, they began to chart a new course in art discourse and practice. Having succeeded in his attempt to carry willing minds along, the process of “freeing the art department from constraints of the past” commenced (Okeke, 2002). Uche Okeke is an embodiment of the creative artist. Although a trained painter, he is also an accomplished creative draughtsman, poet, story teller and scene designer. He also had to his credit great and textiles. His creativity and eclectic qualities soon began to rub off on the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, because he was able contribute positively to every section by emphasizing the importance of African art History, and research on Igbo Arts. Although Uko Akpaide was in charge of sculpture from 1971, his geometric style of shaping forms was seen in very few of his students’ works as against Okeke’s organic approach to sculpture production. Titles were taken from traditional events and ideas and were also influenced by regular researches by students on traditional African art and religion. Wooden forms were monolithic and shaped with , , and gouges. They were finished with fine marks or improvised from broken glass and sand . During this period, the use of power was totally absent among the staff and students of sculpture until El Anatsui, a Ghanaian born artist and art educator joined the emerging art school in 1975. Anatsui was the first of the Nsukka art instructors to introduce the use of power tools in sculpture production. He brought his influence to bear on the working attitudes of his students. This influence was not only in the works he produced in clay and terrazzo but most importantly in his use of power tools to shape and decorate wood. Also, pyrography as a shaping and decorating device was not practiced by Nsukka art teachers and students by the time El Anatsui came to Nsukka. It was pioneered by El Anatsui, initated and further explored by his students.

Anatsui’s Wooden Plaques and the Introduction Power Tools to Nsukka Artists El Anatsui had produced some circular wooden plates with scorched in designs since 1970, in Ghana, but it took some time before this technique of production was adopted, appropriated and practiced in Nsukka School. Many of these wooden plaques were exhibited in Uche Okeke’s Asele Gallery in 1975 and the Institute of African Studies, the University of Nigeria in 1976 when the Uli linear experiment was beginning to flourish among the teachers and students of the Art Department. After the Nsukka Art school group exhibition in Port-Harcourt, Onitsha and Enugu, a solo exhibition at the British Council, Enugu, all in 1979, Anatsui travelled to the United States of America to become an artist-in-residence. There, in Cummington, Massachusetts, he accidentally became fascinated with the possibility of shaping wood with chain , a power ordinarily used for felling big trees and cutting them into manageable pieces. According to Anatsui, the idea of exploring the power tool came to him in 1980 when he wanted to log a tree trunk for a composite sculpture. While he was using this temperamental tool, he suddenly discovered how evocative and eloquent the cuts were on wood. From then on, he consciously started to try out its physical possibilities, its strengths and weaknesses, as well as other ways to enhance its performance and results (Anatsui, 1987). The discovery of this tool heralded the second and more forceful period of wood burning experiment by Anatsui in the 1980s. This seemingly dangerous method of making incisions on wood was to be Anatsui’s preoccupation for more than ten years. From 1980, it took another six years before pyrography, as practiced by Anatsui, began to be established as a regular technique of sculpture and indeed, art production among Nsukka artists and beyond. In 1986, Anatsui showed three mixed media burnt wood sculptures at the inaugural

Nsukka Journal of the Humanities, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2015

13

exhibition of Aka Group of Exhibiting Artists at French Center, Enugu and Lagos. The three works, entitled Between Asaba and Onitsha (Fig. 1). They made it happen, watched it happen and now wonder what has happened and Untitled were greeted with a lot of excitement and interest by both Enugu and Lagos audience. Back at Nsukka, the euphoria generated by the tremendous success and acceptance of Anatsui’s pyrography stirred in the students the urge to follow the same creative path.

Fig. 1: El Anatsui, Between Onitsha and Asaba, Wood, 1986, 150 x 110 © Anatsui.

El Anatsui made the transfer of knowledge of this new technique of sculpture production possible by executing some of his works within the departmental sculpture studio, even though he ran a private studio outside the university campus. Some of his students learned some of his pyrography techniques and exhibited pyro-engraved wood panels in their 1986 graduation exhibition.

Anatsui and the Next set of Pyrographers One way of measuring the success of El Anatsui’s pyrography sculpture in 1986 exhibition at Enugu and Lagos, was through the amount of interest this sculpture technique generated within Nsukka and among former students of Anatsui who practiced their sculpture outside the university town. For example, while Okey Ikenegbu continued to work in this new technique at Awka where he taught sculpture in a College of Education, Ndidi Dike and Anthony Nwachukwu who graduated from the Art department in 1984 and 1982, respectively, worked in a studio shared by them in Owerri. This collaboration yielded positive ideas for both artists. Anthony Nwachukwu had his solo exhibition in 1986 where he showed, for the first time, burnt wood sculptures, including The Central Bank which he held together with hinges and ropes in order to alter its form while it is still standing. Ndidi Dike mounted her second solo exhibition, Explorations into Nature in June 1987 while Ikenegbu’s maiden solo was opened in July of the same year. Of the thirty-seven assorted works listed in Ndidi’s exhibition, fifteen of them were pyro influenced wood works and were all dated 1987. In Ikenegbu’s solo exhibition titled Ugo Gbuzuo, six of the sixteen pyrographed wood panels were dated 1986. Meanwhile, also in 1987, El Anatsui, in a major solo exhibition exclusively dedicated to pyrography under the title Pieces of Wood, showed a total of twenty wood panels produced between 1984 and 1987. Pieces of Wood immediately became a successful testimony of the efficacy of this

Nsukka Journal of the Humanities, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2015

14

wood shaping and colouring sculpture technique. To achieve his results, the artist first laid vertical strips of wood together on the floor and transferred his paper design on them using painting brush and ink before carving in linear incisions with the tip of power driven shaft, or holes into the panels with electric drilling machine. The marks on the wood, rough and hairy, were then subjected to intense scorching of fire from a blow lamp, and eventually cleaned up with an angle grinder driven sand paper. On completion, these carved lines came out very dark, in sharp contrast with the wood colour. These interesting pieces of wood were then arranged back to their original positions or sometimes rearranged to create new compositions. To display his pieces of wood, a short behind each panel suspended it on a horizontal wooden baton affixed to a wall. He also introduced colour pigments, sheet metals and ropes to these wood panels. Pieces of Wood exhibition became a very strong and important artistic landmark for a number of reasons. With a powerful introduction, “Instrumental Messages, Creative Correspondences” by Ola Oloidi (1987) and the Anatsui’s (1987) random thoughts, “From the Artist’s Jotter”, Pieces of Wood packaged Anatsui’s creative genius in a way not hitherto done on the artist before then. With this exhibition, pyrography as a sculpture technique was formally launched into the modern Nigerian (and indeed African) art scene. Also, each exhibit on display presented original forms, titles and ideas which were to influence a host of burgeoning artists many years after. The exhibition catalogue also contains a detailed list of former students who served as the artist studio hands between 1984 and 1987. One of them, Ndubuisi Onah, was allowed by Anatsui to exhibit a few of his works as the artist’s guest. Pieces of Wood exhibition was a huge success, and therefore attracted a lot of positive literary reviews and commentaries in national dailies and magazines. The gate was now open for the practice of modern pyrography in Nigeria, and Nsukka in particular. Indeed, between November 30 and December 4, 1987, Ikenegbu exhibited some panels at the British Council Enugu in a joint exhibition with Greg Odo. Other group shows where Anatsui exhibited his new brand of sculptures in 1987 included AKA ’87 at the Hotel Presidential, Enugu and another group show at the National Gallery of Crafts and Designs, Lagos. In 1988, there were about ten major exhibitions in Nigeria that showcased pyrography. These included one solo and two group shows by Ndidi Dike, two joint and four group shows, involving El Anatsui. Dike’s Rhythms in Wood, mounted at the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Lagos, comprised thirty-seven works. While many of the exhibits on display had traces of pyrography in them, a number of them were merely carved and sometimes dyed or had colour pigments applied on them. Her exhibits included utility woodworks like stools, tables, reclining chairs and room dividers and about eighteen wood murals. Dike (1988) declared in her artist’s projections that her passion then was to introduce art into people’s homes as aesthetic and functional objects. In the same year, Thoughts and Processes, Anatsui’s joint exhibition with Onah was hosted by the Italian Cultural Center, while Walls and Gates, Anatsui’s joint show with Liz Willi’s was hosted by Avant Garde Gallery, Kaduna. Four group exhibitions by Anatsui in 1988 were held at Nigerian Union of Journalists Press Center, Enugu, Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Gallery of Crafts and Design, Lagos and Ana Gallery, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. In 1988, also, Anatsui continued to build on the successes of the Pieces of Wood and other group exhibition of early 1987. As old experiments were perfected, new ones were introduced to broaden the scope and other creative possibilities on burnt wood sculpture. Short wooden poles were cut, turned, carved, burnt and cleaned before they were arranged in the round as free standing

Nsukka Journal of the Humanities, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2015

15

composite forms as shown in Devotees and Group Photograph. Pyro-engraved planks of unequal dimensions were arranged in ways that made them free standing with relative ease. Planks were carved with chainsaw, chisels and , of different bit sizes, and to create special effects. Wood pieces were sewn together with ropes and wires. Some areas of carved blocks of wood, and planks were sparingly covered with tempera and acrylic colours and metal sheets to enhance Anatsui’s creative statements on burnt wood surfaces. Anatsui’s works and their method of production challenged critics and writers alike to find appropriate words and captions to capture the events of this period. Ogundare, Olaniyi (1988) of Daily Times called one of his shows “a celebration of Durable Aesthetics”, while Omidiora Koyejo (1988) of Punch Newspapers called his show “’s Past in Wood”. Ike Okonta (1988) also saw his works as ‘Bits of Wood’. By 1989, more people began to aggressively practice pyrography in and around Nsukka. While Anatsui and Dike continued to exhibit, Ben Onyemaobi, a lecturer at a Polytechnic in Oko, exhibited some burnt wood panels in his first solo exhibition titled Reflections of Self. Although he was not a graduate of Nsukka Fine and Applied Arts Department, the inclusion of his efforts in the development of pyrography is cited to identify when non-Nsukka art graduates began to experiment on burnt wood sculptures. By 1989, there continued to grow the burning desire by more people to make more attempts on pyrography. Many undergraduate sculpture students, some of whom eventually became temporary studio hands in Anatsui’s Africa studio, continued to experiment with the angle grinder, a major handy and relatively cheap power driven tool and eventually displayed pyro-engraved panels in their 1989 final year exhibition. Basil Igwegbe and Chike Onyeka are two of such studio hands. Meanwhile, a newly established “Tuff Studio”, at Catering Rest House Road, Nsukka and belonging to Chijioke Onuora began to accommodate young artists and students who, among other art practices, experimented with angle grinder on wood panels. It was also in 1989 that Gbubemi Amanontsewor, a 1979 painting graduate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, took to functional pyrography as a major money yielding occupation. Amas, as he was popularly known, came back to Nsukka in 1987 after eight years of show business in Warri and co-estalished the famous Anthill night club near the University campus with Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu. This means that he witnessed the introduction of pyrography and its subsequent acceptance by the Nigerian Art audience from a vantage position. When the Anthill eventually folded up in 1989, this multi talented artist needed to do something else to enjoy himself, make money and sustain his young family. Utilitarian sculpture immediately became a viable option. One recalls that Mr. Amanoritsewor was a student at the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, Nsukka when Anatsui joined its staff crew in 1975. According to him, Anatsui’s sculptures did not interest him then, but by the time he came back to Nsukka in the late 1980s, Anatsui’s new wood shaping technique had caught his attention, and he started to explore this technique and eventually came up with his own unique style (Ibe, 1996). Unlike Anatsui, he neither used chain saw, router, , blow lamp nor oxyacetylene flame. His major tools consisted of manual , native cutlass, angle grinder, and some ’s tools like nails, glue, hammer, pincers, and a fire place. With these unsophisticated tools, he sought to relate with people the very way he related with them in show business. Indeed, he combined show business with his fine art forms. During the staging of Princess Esilokun Opera by the Professional Players at the Roman Catholic Church Hall, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1989, Mr. Amanoritsewor’s pyrographed stools, throne, doors and wooden staircase formed part of back drop for the stage.

Nsukka Journal of the Humanities, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2015

16

While these art activities were going on at Nsukka, El Anatsui continued to exhibit his burnt wood works in Enugu and Lagos. In 1990, his works attracted the attention of museums and art organizations abroad. Besides a joint exhibition in Hilton Nicon Noga Hotel in Abuja, and a group show by the staff of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Nigeria, Nsukka to celebrate Chinua Achebe’s 60th Birthday, other group shows by Anatsui in 1990 took place abroad. For example, he was exhibited by the Studio Museum in Harlem, United States, Onira Arts, Ottawa Canada, Galleries D’art Contemporanea, Sicily, Italy and Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum, Philadelphia, U.S.A. He also participated in the 1990 Venice Bienale. The practice of pyrography by Nsukka artists gathered so much momentum as well as attracted so much interest by the beginning of 1990s and there existed four major studios where pyrography experiments were vigorously pursued. They included Anatsui’s Africa studio located at Obollo Road, Amannoritsewor’s Gamas Studio sited behind Queen of Rosary College at the outskirt of Nsukka, Chijioke Onuora's Tuff studio located at 11 Catering Rest House Road and Sculpture studio of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Together they produced volumes of pyrographed woodworks for sale and for exhibitions. While other studios produced wood panels and utility sculptures mainly for sale, Anatsui continued to exhibit. For example, Amanoritsewor produced utility burnt wood forms, particularly wine bars for living rooms, wall planters, rocking chairs and beautiful wall panels and sold them to lecturers and some clients around Nsukka, Enugu and Warri. In 1991 he exhibited two non utility wood works in ‘Homage’ exhibition at the home coming of the alumni of the Art School. Other events of this period were Anthony Ndikanwu’s solo exhibition titled Perceptions ’91, Ndubuisi Onah’s Harvest of Ideas at the Residence of Australian High Commission Lagos, and Barthosa Nkurumeh’s exhibition at the British Council, Enugu. In Perceptions 91, Anthony Ndikanwu, a 1988 graduate of Nsukka Art School, exhibited a total of fifteen paintings and another fifteen burnt wood sculptures at the Modotel Owerri, reflecting in his works, strong Anatsui’s influence in terms of materials, techniques and titles. In Harvest of Ideas, Onah was finally able to come out with his own solo show, having been working in Anatsui’s Africa Studio since 1985. The works listed in this show included some of his graduation works produced in 1984 and some burnt wood works created while working in Anatsui’s studio. Barthosa Nkurume, a 1989 graduate and a printmaking enthusiast, while exhibiting his prints and graphic works at The British Council Enugu, included a few mixed media pyrography works in his display, demonstrating very strong influence of Anatsui in his art career. The same year, Anatsui continued to consolidate his hold on the art of pyrography in a solo exhibition titled Old and New. This show contains forty-six works produced between 1988 and 1991. While his approach to wall panels became even more refined, he continued to make more of his free sculptures standing by stacking up wood slabs in an organic build-up. Some memorable works in this mould include Sisi Eko, Alhaji, Back and Front and another version of Wonder Masquerade1 Free standing, monolithic forms from old and abandoned traditional palm fruit mortars, carved, scorched and occasionally painted were also represented in such works as Talakawa, One Kobo and Spear Bearer. In the Professional Players second outing in the same year, part of the scenic designs for the Endless Nightmare Opera contained burnt wood works by Gbubemi Amanoritsewor. Certainly, the early and middle part of 1990s could be referred to as the golden age of pyrography for Nsukka art school. It is a historical fact that while Ndidi Dike continued to produce and exhibit her works outside Nsukka, many more pyrographers continued to emerge as Africa studio,

Nsukka Journal of the Humanities, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2015

17

Gamas studio and Tuff studio progressively exposed more people to this art. In Africa Studio, fresh graduates, penultimate and final year students as well as local workers were the available studio hands, while Gamas studio made use of local carpenters and labourers sourced from the neighbouring community as aides, Tuff studio admitted only undergraduate and graduate students. The birth of Visual Orchestra exhibition group, in 1990, provided exhibition opportunities for other young artists to exhibit their works. Among the members of this group were four of Anatsui’s studio hands in Africa studio. They included Denwigwe Akagbule, Chukwujekwu Ozoihu, Lambert Iheanacho and Eva Obodo. In Visual Orchestra ’92, Denwigwe Akagbule exhibited pyrography works which included Grandpa’s Gourd and Protection.

Some Events of 1992 and Beyond A remarkable event which gave immense boost to pyrography in Nsukka in 1992 was the introduction of utility sculpture as a course in the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Nigeria by Ernest Okoli. Before Okoli joined the teaching staff of the Department in late 1992, Amanoritsewor was the only Nsukka pyrography artist who produced chairs, tables, desks and other utility wood forms. Having specialized in sculpture in his undergraduate days, Okoli was naturally drafted into the sculpture section of the department to teach “Sculpture Process: Carving”, in addition to Art Education which became his new area of specialization at the postgraduate level. Early 1990s, as has already been noted, was a period of massive experimentation and exploitation of the wood burning technique. While Anatsui and his followers approached pyrography intellectually on one side, Gbubemi Amanoritsewor was more preoccupied with utilitarian needs. It is also necessary to note that Ndidi Dike had also exerted her creative energy on the production of utility related art objects about the same period Amanoritsewor found interest in pyrography in the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, she eventually abandoned it for other elitist mixed media art forms. Ernest Okoli, having identified with interest, Gbubemi’s exploits and his interest in entrepreneurial ideas, decided to introduce the production of utility sculptures to his students who included, among others, Inameti Eyom, Izundu Nwankwo and Chukwudi Ugwu. Precisely, in the first semester of the 1992/93 academic session, he took these students on an educational tour of Gamas studio for them to imbibe his unique approach to wood sculpture programme. Borrowing from traditional African culture examples, students created original household furniture for contemporary use. It involved special joining techniques, often without nails, to achieve unique and exciting results. Nsukka timber market, located at Isiakpu area became the major source of wood for students. From there, students could purchase, at relatively cheap rates, planks of varied colours, lengths and thickness for class assignments as well as commissioned works. At the initial stages of this experiment, students were restricted to the production of simple tables, reclining chairs and wall hangings. In one of Izundu’s low tables (fig. 2), for example, there was a clever use of the weight and wood placements to achieve stability without resorting to nailing. The low table, with its bold lines and fish motifs, was burnished to achieve burnt sienna/umber finish. Another example of utility wood sculpture within this period is Izundu’s Eagle Mirrow Frame, executed in 1994. The introduction of utility wood sculpture as an art discipline, to say the least, meant that every sculpture graduate of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Nigeria acquired some knowledge of pyrography before leaving the institution. This way, pyrography technology spread out as these graduates interacted with the outside world.

Nsukka Journal of the Humanities, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2015

18

Fig.2. Low Table by Izundu Nwankwo, 57 x 31 x 38, 1993 © Chijioke Onuora.

Meanwhile more people continued to join the ranks of exhibiting pyrography artists, as older ones tried to find new ways of expressing themselves. Anthonia Okogwu, the first female sculpture graduate of the University of Nigeria exhibited four pyrography sculptures in her 1993 outing titled Notes from the North at the National Museum, Lagos. In 1994, Chijioke Onuora’s Visual Speech solo exhibition at Bona Gallery, Enugu, had on display, among other works, eight wood sculptures with strong pyro influences. Ikenegbu’s Now We Cry also opened at the British Council in 1995. These are by no means, the only pyrography related exhibitions which took place within this period. Important breakthroughs recorded by Anatsui, particularly outside Africa, began with nine group and four joint exhibitions in 1990 and 1991 respectively. In 1992, he took part in an environment preservation related art workshop where Erosion, his largest free standing pyro sculpture was produced. Together with other sculptures, his works toured Brazil between 1992 and 1994. After featuring in three major group shows, which include New Currents ’93: Avant Garde Nigerian Art, Didi Museum, Lagos and October Gallery exhibition of six African Artists in London, he was hosted alongside other artists in Havana, Cuba and Horniman Museum, London. In 1995, October Gallery, London hosted Anatsui’s solo titled, El Anatsui and participated in over nine group exhibitions, which included Africus: 1st Johannesburg Biennale, South Africa, Seven Stories about Modern Nigerian in Whitechapel Gallery, London and Malmo Konsthall, Sweden, Configura 2 in Germany, Contemporary African Art in Germany and Art An Inside Story: African Art of Our Time which toured Japan between 1995 and 1996 and Osaka Trienale, Japan where he also won the Kansai Telecasting Coporation Prize. By 1996, ten years after El Anatsui showed three burnt wood sculptures at the inaugural exhibition AKA group of exhibiting artists, and firmly established himself as the father and most significant motivator of modern pyrography artists at the Nsukka Art School, an enviable presence on international scene.

Conclusion The pyrograph influenced sculpture practice at the Nsukka art school reached its golden age by the mid-1990s when more exponents successfully produced other original brands that were not necessarily direct copies of Anatsui’s wall panels. Although there is no denying the fact that he continued to exert considerable influence on his young and enthusiastic pyro-followers, it was also

Nsukka Journal of the Humanities, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2015

19

evident that overtime they became more confident in their choices of materials, techniques of production and sourcing of titles. For example, Gubemi Amanoritsewor concentrated more on the production of utility sculptures for homes and offices. His sources of inspiration were drawn from the rich Itsekiri culture, his home tribe, and Igbo culture where he studied and resided. His works contained curvilinear marks which persistently pointed to the uli influence and the recurrent fish motifs which continually pointed to the water environment of the Itsekiri people. Pyro sculptures by Okey Ikenegbu revealed a corpus of compositions from an array of found objects while Ndidi Dike incorporated influences from the Akwete, Adire, Luru and Ndebele textile cultures into her mixed media compositions. Also, paintings executed on pyro-engraved surfaces were some of Chijioke Onuora’s experiments during this period. They were very noticeable in his 1994 solo exhibition, Visual Speech, at the Bona gallery, Enugu. Between 1986 and the mid-1990s works produced by the Nsukka pyrography artists enjoyed some positive critical reviews from both celebrated and burgeoning art historians and critics. Among them is Chike Aniakor whose exciting introductions in all the AKA exhibition catalogues identified several qualities of Anatsui’s unique sculpture production techniques. He also wrote the introduction to Ikenegbu’s Ugo Gbuzuo solo exhibition in 1987. Ola Oloidi’s introduction to the Pieces of Wood exhibition by Anatsui remains one of the truest comments on the artist by a close associate. His essay, “Instrumental Messages, Creative Correspondences” discussed Anatsui’s creative genius and his position as an unconventional but convincingly forceful modern Nigerian artist. Other critical reviews of Anatsui’s works came from Kojo Fosu, Anene Obianyido, Elizabeth Peri-Willis, Dele Jegede and Grace Stanislaus. Other names who featured prominently during this period are Olu Oguibe, Sylvester Ogbechie, Chika Okeke and Krydz Ikwuemesi. Also during this period, pyrography as sculpture technique found greater acceptance outside Nsukka as many artists and art students from notable art communities in Enugu, Oko and Awka began to produce more works crafted in this style. Notable among this group of artists is Ben Onyemaobi whose exhibitions contained substantial collection of burnt wood panels. This brand of sculpture production also gained even wider visibility as graduates of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Nigeria, took their practices to their various places of national youth service in the Western and Southern geo-political Nigerian zones. This study has examined the pyrography sculpture practiced by the early Nsukka modern artists in terms of typology: the elitist and the utilitarian. While El Anatsui, the pioneer of modern pyrography sculpture in Nsukka lead the elitist group which included major players like Ndidi Dike, Anthony Nwachukwu, Ndubuisi Onah, Okey Ikenegbu, Chijioke Onuora, Anthony Ndikanwu, Anthonia Okogwu, Basil Igwegbe and Eva Obodo, Gbubemi Amanoritsewor (Amas) lead the group which produced household items. Notable among this second group were Izundu Nwankwo, Inameti Uyom, Udo Ibe, Ikechukwu Okenyi and Uche Onyishi. These early pyrographers of the Nsukka Art School laid the foundation upon which other creative pyrographers eventually excelled.

References Anatsui, E. (1987). Pieces of Wood, An Exhibition of Mural Sculpture, Lagos: Goethe Institute. Dike, N. (1988). Rythms in Wood, Lagos: National Museum. Ibe, U. (1996). Amas Gbubemi Amanoritsewor: His Contribution Towards the Utility Value of Contemporary Nigerian Art (Unpublished B.A. Thesis) University of Nigeria.

Nsukka Journal of the Humanities, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2015

20

Jegede, D. (2002). Globalizing Ulism: Trick or Treat in Ottenberg S. (ed.) The Nsukka Artists and Nigerian Contemporary Art (p. 184). Ogundare, O. (1988. Nov. 28). Celebration of Durable Aesthetics, Daily Times, p. 4. Okeke, U. (2002). Uli and My Early Art Experience in Ottenberg, S. (ed.) The Nsukka Artists and Nigerian Contemporary Art (p. 98). Okonta, I. (1988. Dec. 21-27). Anatsui’s Bits of Wood. Abuja Newsday, p. 21. Oloidi, O. (2002). Ile Ola Uli: Nsukka Art as Fount and Factor in Modern Nigerian Art in Ottenberg, S. (ed.). The Nsukka Artists and Nigerian Contemporary Art (p. 252). Omidiora, K. (1988. Nov. 26). Africa’s Past in Wood. The Punch. Lagos.

Nsukka Journal of the Humanities, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2015