ERHABOR EMOKPAE | THE NEW SEEKERS

Private Collection, Nigeria

Munich, Museum Villa Stuck, The Short Century Independence and Liberation Movements in Africa 1945-1994, 15 February-22 April 2001, illustrated in colour in the catalogue p. 83; Berlin, House of World Cultures in the Martin-Gropius-Bau, 18 May-22 July 2001; Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, 8 September-30 December 2001; New York City, New York, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center and The Museum of Modern Art, 10 February-5 May 2002

Born in 1934, in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, Erhabor Emokpae is regarded as a progenitor and virtuoso of modern art in Nigeria and an eminent artist who worked with a variety of media, ranging from bronze sculptures, to pastel and oil painting. In his formative years, Emokpae was influenced by the Benin Guild of Carvers. After Nigeria’s independence in 1960, Emokpae was influential in shaping the direction of art in the nation. His efforts are recognised in the founding of the National Arts Council in 1963, as well as being a founding member and secretary of the Society of Nigerian Artists in 1964. In the 1970’s, a replica of the ivory mask of Queen Mother Idia was crafted by Emokpae, this would later become the emblem of the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (Festac ’77).

An accomplished graphic artist, Emokpae displayed an emphatic proficiency in his career. He is recognised for his geometric abstractions in the style of Russian suprematist, Kazimir Malevich. The New Seekers illustrates this, particularly his command of shapes, colour and visual story telling. The Uvbi Series represent the virtuosity of Emokpae, as well as his appreciation for Benin cultural heritage. Young Woman Seated, Burlesque Dancer and Young Woman in Profile are strong representations of beautiful Benin women. In Young Woman Seated and Young Woman in Profile, both women are adorned and ornamented with coral beads, a signifier of high status amongst the Benin People of Nigeria. The word ‘uvbi’ in the Benin language is a term used to describe a princess and colloquially a beautiful woman. The Uvbi Series are prodigious examples of Emokpae’s ethnographic and romantic style of painting, executed with immeasurable skill, they cement Emokpae’s position as an exponent of Benin beauty.