ART PROFESSIONALISM, SHIFTING IDENTITIES AND CREATIVE CORRESPONDENCES IN THE WORKS OF OBIORA UDECHUKWU

ART PROFESSIONALISM, SHIFTING IDENTITIES AND CREATIVE CORRESPONDENCES IN THE WORKS OF OBIORA UDECHUKWU

ABSTRACT

 

Obiora Udechukwu’s name is synonymous with the Nsukka Art School. He is also known nationally and internationally. His art career has been eventful and aesthetically rewarding.  He works in diverse media such as oil, acrylic, watercolour, pen and ink, lithographs, linocut, aquatint, graphite and pastel, and he is best known for his highly linear style which draws extensively from the traditional uli art and other linear art forms like nsibidi and Chinese Li art. In 1995, he left for the United States of America, where his professionalization in art has continued to make him produce enduring visual statements. Numerous scholarly works have been written on Udechukwu, but a comprehensive research, which articulates his art career in Nigeria and in the United States of America, is yet to be carried out. This study, therefore, attempts to fill this vacuum. Employing historical and analytical processes, it provides an update on Udechukwu’s art career, using art professionalism, shifting identities and creative correspondences as critical frameworks.  Obiora Udechukwu’s art career in Nigeria and in the United States of America is marked with experimentation. Noticeable changes seen in his works in the Diaspora are the development of more organic and multi-linear compositions, as well as the increased use of text in pictorial configuration. The Nigerian civil war, his Igbo roots, indigenous art forms, as well as socio-political issues are dominant themes in his art. He has contributed to the development of modern Nigerian art through numerous national and international exhibitions, workshops and conferences. His art career has brought international attention to the Nsukka Art School, and he has trained, as well as influenced many modern Nigerian artists.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Title Page………………………………………………………………………………………………………… i

Approval Page………………………………………………………………………………………………… ii

Certification…………………………………………………………………………………………………… iii

Dedication……………………………………………………………………………………………………… iv

Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………………………. v

Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………………….. vii

List of Figures………………………………………………………………………………………………… ix

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. viii

 

CHAPTER ONE…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1

INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………. 1

Background to the Study……………………………………………………………………………………. 1

Statement of the Problem…………………………………………………………………………………… 6

Objectives of the Study……………………………………………………………………………………… 7

Methodology……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7

Scope of the Study……………………………………………………………………………………………. 8

Limitations of the Study…………………………………………………………………………………….. 8

Significance of the Study…………………………………………………………………………………… 8

Organization…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8

 

CHAPTER TWO………………………………………………………………………………………….. 11

LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………………………………………………………… 11

 

CHAPTER THREE………………………………………………………………………………………. 40

BIOGRAPHY AND PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF OBIORA UDECHUKWU          40

 

CHAPTER FOUR…………………………………………………………………………………………. 68

OBIORA UDECHUKWU’S ART CAREER FROM 1964 TO 1995…………………….. 68

Obiora Udechukwu’s War Time Art………………………………………………………………….. 80

 

Creativity and a New dawn: Udechukwu’s involvement with Culture

Re-appraisal and Renaissance…………………………………………………………………………. 100

Stylistic remnants of War Time Art…………………………………………………………………. 101

Evidences of Varied Creative Influences………………………………………………………….. 109

Early Manifestations of the Linear Culture (1975 – 1979)………………………………….. 119

Era of Advanced Linear Oratory (1980 – 1991)………………………………………………… 126

Era of Profound Colour Exploration (1992 – 1995)…………………………………………… 167

 

CHAPTER FIVE…………………………………………………………………………………………. 193

BEYOND THE FRONTIERS OF THE HOMELAND: OBIORA

UDECHUKWU’S ART CAREER FROM 1997-2012………………………………………. 193

Analysis of Selected Works……………………………………………………………………………. 198

 

CHAPTER SIX…………………………………………………………………………………………… 262

CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 262

Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 271

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Art, as a means of self expression, generally espouses creativity, fertile imagination, ingenuity, as well as perceptive and conceptual abilities. A successful and enduring art practice according to Ola Oloidi is necessarily usually built around a well sustained culture of professionalism which embodies the love of, or interest in, achieving or attaining standard or professional proficiency.¹ Meaningful art production also requires the acquisition of specific skills, knowledge and a clear understanding of what constitutes good art. These fundamental requirements are often acquired through genuine interest, training and the willingness to experiment with ideas and materials.

The appraisal of world art history shows that many artists, have, at different art epochs, distinguished themselves in various creative endeavours. These artists, often acclaimed as ‘masters’, performed tremendous feats in the different aspects of the visual arts.  The artists of the I5^th, 16^th and 17^th centuries like Donatello, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Leon Battista Alberti, Titian, El Greco, Diego Velasquez, Peter Paul Rubens, Caravaggio and Rembrandt van Rijn, among others, had distinguished art careers that have continued to attract admiration till date. In his analysis of the Renaissance period, Fred Kleiner notes that “the High Renaissance produced a cluster of extraordinary geniuses and found in divine inspiration the rationale for the exaltation of the artist-genuis.”² Some examples of masterpieces produced during this era include the enigmatic Monalisa painted by Leonardo da Vinci, Last Judgement, painted on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo Buonarroti and Raphael Sanzio’s School of Athens, among numerous others.

Other art movements in Europe such as Impressionism, Romanticism, Realism, Expressionism, Abstract Expressionism, Fauvism, Cubism and Surrealism just to mention a few, also highlight the artistic ingenuity of the artists associated with these art periods. Artists like Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Francisco Goya, William Blake, Eugene Delacroix, Salvador Dali, Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Henry Moore, Paul Klee, Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier, just to mention a few, are worthy examples. To attain the status of a master, an artist must have attained a certain degree of professionality in his art practice. The attainment of this status initiates a different kind of critical assessment and also confers on the work of the artist, value and didactic posturing. Ola Oloidi notes:

A master is a professional whose art is already liberated from, or no more professionally affected by, certain forms of conventional criticism or whose art can no more be made captive of negative criticism. The professional strength of a master does not lie anymore in critics’ convictions but in the artist’s innate abilities and pure sensibilities.³

 

Also, the attainment of such status arises from what Oloidi describes as “a supreme attribute that comes naturally through great effervescent experimentation and professionalization.”⁴

In the discourse on modern Nigerian art, artists like Aina Onabolu, Akinola Lasekan, Ben Enwonwu, Uche Okeke, Demas Nwoko, Yusuf Grillo, Bruce Onorbrakpeya and El Anatsui have attained this status. The artist, Obiora Udechukwu, also belongs to this category. A competent painter, draughtsman, writer and poet, Udechukwu’s art career has impacted significantly on the growth and development of Nigeria’s art modernism.  The artist has attained a well deserved recognition, both nationally and internationally and he stands on the pedestal of the artist-genius.  As Simon Ottenberg observes:

Udechukwu is a highly regarded Nigerian artist who creates in a range of two-dimensional media, with a rich background of experience in drawing. Highly productive, he frequently exhibits in solo and group exhibitions, writes critique and commentaries on contemporary Nigerian art, has substantial gift as a poet, and is a person of wide scholarly interest.⁵

 

Krydz Ikwuemesi also remarks that each time he contemplates Obiora Udechukwu’s works, his mind recalls the humble words of Heinrich Heine, the German Romantic poet, who declared; “Aus meinem grossen Schmerzen mach’ ich die kleinen Lieder” (Through my great labour, I create little songs).⁶  Ikwuemesi explains that Heine was only exhibiting extreme humility as his songs were actually not little, but provided the platform through which he was able to criticized the social problems of his time.⁷   Applying this analogy to Udechukwu, Ikwuemesi further remarks:

In the same manner, a cursory look may mislead the viewer to dismiss Udechukwu’s works, especially his drawings, as simplistic. There is also a seeming simplicity that equally marks the fire behind his exemplary personality. Like Heine, Udechukwu knows the problems of his time the way he knows the back of his hand. At 58, he certainly understands the contradictions and conflicts in the Nigerian question, especially in its post-war characteristics. It is these conflicts and contradictions that are at the centre of Udechukwu’s imagination, as he concerns himself with the pursuit of truth and excellence, which are the gem of great art.⁸

 

Obiora Udechukwu’s art, to a marked degree, is shaped by certain circumstances that were instrumental to his formative years. The trauma of the Nigerian civil war and his encounter with uli art, the traditional art of body and wall painting practised by Igbo women of south-eastern Nigeria, were of immense importance to his development as an artist, both thematically and stylistically. These factors proved to be vital catalysts that ignited his creative sensibility. As reported by Simon Ottenberg, Udechukwu’s comment on the trauma of the Nigerian civil war, serves as a pointer to the artist’s thematic preoccupation:

I as a person had to move from one town to other with virtually no property, just a coat and a bag, occasionally sleeping in the open. So I know firsthand what it is to suffer. I have known hunger. I have also seen people suffering. I have seen air raids where human beings are dismembered in under two seconds. So this has left a big mark on my psyche and over the years, I find that images of pathos that one associates with Biafra, keeps surfacing from time to time.⁹

 

In acknowledging the influence of indigenous art forms on his art, Udechukwu also states:

At one level, my work has benefitted immensely from, and owes a lot to, the forms and aesthetic strategies of Igbo uli drawing and painting, and to a lesser extent nsibidi writing. What these two systems have done is to provide me with a reliable vocabulary for articulating and presenting my responses to life-various environments, events and phenomena. In the same way that my grounding in Igbo and English informs my creative writing, my encountering the arts of various parts of the world has broadened my outlook and practice.¹⁰

 

Through the years, the creative pathways which Udechukwu’s art has taken reflect a culture of experimentation. These experiences are continually reinvented and consolidated by the artist into a personal creative language. It is of vital importance to the visual artist, to be consciously and critically aware of his environment, understanding its dynamism and potentiality for creative revival and sustenance. This exhortation is also not lost on Udechukwu, who says:

The Igbo saying that “If you do not know where the rain started to beat you, you will not know where it ceased to beat you” posits a historical imperative for the understanding of the present and for the survival of a person or a society at a given time. This idea is elaborated in the memorable speech by the old man in Chinua Achebe’s Novel, Anthills of the Savannah (1987), and resonates with the project, spearheaded by Uche Okeke in the 1970s at Nsukka, to deeply research traditional Nigerian art as a foundation for the realization of a vital contemporary art.¹¹

 

For a career that has been sustained for over five decades, Obiora Udechukwu’s art has consistently drawn from indigenous sources as a potent creative resource for the realization of contemporary artistic demands. The artistic proceeds of Udechukwu’s resolution of this creative dialogue, between tradition and modern, have gained him respect and recognition. This finds endorsement in Ola Oloidi’s assertion that “Obiora Udechukwu, more than all the new artists in Nigeria, has won international attention.”¹² As of 1992, the artist has had sixteen solo exhibitions, four joint exhibitions and over sixty-four group exhibitions.¹³ Udechukwu has also received numerous awards and grants. His creative and scholarly writings equally factor in projecting the wholesomeness of his artistic personality.

For twenty-two years, Obiora Udechukwu taught art in the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. In 1995, as a result of irreconcilable differences between the artist and the administration of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, he relocated to the United States of America and is presently Charles A. Dana Professor of Fine Arts at St Lawrence University. Numerous scholarly works have been written on Obiora Udechukwu. The most outstanding literary work on the artist is, perhaps, the book, New Traditions from Nigeria: Seven Artists of the Nsukka School, written by the eminent anthropologist, Simon Ottenberg. The book, published in 1997, provides insightful information on the artist. Udechukwu’s biography, artistic development and professional art career are critically appraised within the framework of the Nsukka Art School, of which the artist strongly represents.  Obiora Udechukwu is the quintessential artist whose love for art and commitment to professionalism, continue to sustain a prolific and vibrant art career. The artist’s creative antecedents remain integral to the discourse on the Nsukka Art School in particular, and Nigeria’s art modernism in general.

Art professionalism, shifting identities and creative correspondences, the three key frameworks which form the basis of this study, provide effective handles for the understanding and appreciation of Udechukwu’s art. The first examines Udechukwu’s commitment to professionalism in art. This involves assessing how his love for, and interest in, achieving standard, has translated to issues of professionalization and professionality.  Shifting identities, the second framework, examines the artist’s art career in Nigeria, and the creative implication of his migration to the United States of America. The third framework, creative correspondences, considers the multifarious layering of Udechukwu’s art, especially, as it relates to his dynamic responses to life experiences, within the rubrics of style, media and subject matter.

 

Statement of the Problem

Given Udechukwu’s creative pedigree, there is compelling need to carry out a periodic appraisal of the dynamics at work in his professional art career; more so, now that his art practice bestrides two continents. Simon Ottenberg’s book represents the most in-depth documentation on the artist. However, it is time constrained as it examines the artist’s career up to 1995. Udechukwu’s art practice in the Diaspora from 1995 upwards, and how this factor in the panoramic appraisal of his oeuvres, are yet to receive in-depth scholarly attention.         Specifically, certain factors which are likely to have impacted on Obiora Udechukwu’s art career in the diaspora are also yet to be addressed. For example, in mapping the current creative trajectory of his art practice, to what extent has the past shaped his present artistic experiences? Has the artist’s relocation to a different continent induced any noticeable changes in his work as an artist? If so, at what levels have these changes occurred in terms of style, technique, media preference and subject matter? Also, given the artist’s track record of adapting and appropriating indigenous art forms to contemporary use, are there evidences of assimilation of new indigenous art vocabularies, and consequently, development of new aesthetic strategies? Furthermore, bearing in mind the artist’s strong attachment to his traditional roots, to what extent has his host environment benefitted from the expected cultural dialogue?  These questions constitute gaps that need to be filled. Updating Udechukwu’s professional art career becomes imperative.

 

Research Objectives

The objectives of this study were to:

1. provide an updated and comprehensive information on the artist’s creative journey so far
2. show the various influences that shaped his creative disposition
3. bring to limelight, changes that may have occurred in his work as a visual artist as a result of his relocation to a different creative clime.
4. highlight the artistic contributions made by Obiora Udechukwu to both his host community and modern Nigerian art.

 

Research Methodology

To actualize its set objectives, the study utilized primary and secondary sources of data collection. Primary data were generated from electronic correspondences between the artist and the researcher through platforms like skype and e-mail exchanges. The visual, oral and textual information sourced through these channels were collected with the aid of a tape recorder and the computer. Secondary data were collected from published materials such as books, journals, exhibition catalogues, magazines, newspapers, online materials, as well as unpublished materials like students’ dissertations and theses.

 

Scope of the Study

The study focuses primarily on the biography and art of Obiora Udechukwu. It examines the artist’s art career from two geographical stand points. This comprises his art career in Nigeria, covering the period, 1964-1995, and his art practice in the Diaspora, from 1997-2013.

 

Limitation of the Study

The geographical distance between the researcher and Obiora Udechukwu made it difficult to physically examine the works produced by Udechukwu in the Diaspora. Obiora Udechukwu’s work schedule, which is unknown to the researcher, as well as the barrier posed by distance, delayed data collection. Also, unreliable internet service and power supply in Nigeria brought frustration in data gathering.

 

Significance of the Study

The study will have an enriching influence on art historical culture in Nigeria by providing knowledge on a distinguished and vibrant Nigerian visual artist. It is bound to stimulate interest in scholars to embark on parallel researches that will help update and document works of artists in Nigeria especially those with a well sustained track record of professional practice.

 

 

 

Organization

In discussing Udechukwu’s professional art career, this study has been structured in such a manner as to satisfy the research objectives. Chapter One introduces the background to the study. The Statement to the problem, Objectives of the Research, Methodology, Scope of Study, Limitations of the Study and Significance of the Study, are also incorporated in this chapter. The review of related literature is carried out in Chapter Two. This provides a general understanding of literary and visual documentation by various scholars and writers, which directly or indirectly relate to the personality and professionality of Obiora Udechukwu. Chapter Three provides biographical information on the artist and also discusses the artist’s professional achievements while Chapter four analyzes the artist’s art career from 1964 to 1995, the period when he was still domiciled in Nigeria. Chapter Five features an in-depth analysis of Udechukwu’s art career in the Diaspora from 1997 to 2013 and Chapter Six summarizes the study.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

1. Ola Oloidi; his postgraduate lecture in Art History, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 2011.
2. Fred S. Kleiner, Gardner’s Art through the Ages, thirteenth edition (Boston: Thompson Wadsworth, 2009), p.579.
3. Ola Oloidi, “Modern Nigerian Art: A celebration of Selected Masters,” in Living Masters (Lagos: Guaranty Trust Bank, 2007), p.7.
4. Ibid, p.8.
5. Simon Ottenberg, New traditions from Nigeria: Seven Artists of the Nsukka Group, (Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1997), p.111.
6. Krydz Ikwuemesi, “Introductory Essay,” in Spaces and Silences (Lagos: Pendulum Art gallery, 2004), p.5.
8. Ibid
9. Simon Ottenberg, p.116.
10. Obiora Udechukwu, “Artist’s statement”. In Spaces and Silences (Lagos: Pendulum Art gallery, 2004), p.12.
12. Ola Oloidi, “Who is the New African Artist: Spirituality and Conscience in Contemporary African Art,” in Chrysalis, Vol. 3, Issue 1 (1988): p.12.
13. See Obiora Udechukwu’s curriculum vitae in So Far (Bayreuth: Boomerang Press, 1993), pp.71-88.

 

ART PROFESSIONALISM, SHIFTING IDENTITIES AND CREATIVE CORRESPONDENCES IN THE WORKS OF OBIORA UDECHUKWU

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