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Ben Enwonwu | |
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| Born | Odinigwe Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu 14 July 1917 Onitsha, Anambra, Nigeria |
| Died | 5 February 1994 (aged 76) Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria |
| Known for | Painter and sculptor |
| Movement | Modern African art |
| Awards | Shell Petroleum Scholarship; Nigerian National Merit Award; Commonwealth Certificate in London; Bennett Prize; Officer of the National Order of the Republic in Senegal; Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire |
Odinigwe Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu // MBE (14 July 1917 – 5 February 1994), better known as Ben Enwonwu, was a Nigerian painter and sculptor.[1] Arguably the most influential African artist of the 20th century, his pioneering career opened the way for the postcolonial proliferation and increased visibility of modern African art. He was one of the first African artists to win critical acclaim, having exhibited in august exhibition spaces in Europe and the United States and listed in international directories of contemporary art. Since 1950, Enwonwu was celebrated as "Africa's Greatest Artist" by the international media[2] and his fame was used to enlist support for Black Nationalists movement all over the world. The Enwonwu crater on the planet Mercury is named in his honour.[3]
- ^ "The painter who 'Africanised Queen Elizabeth'". BBC. 17 October 2019.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Guardianwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Enwonwu: A Young Crater on Mercury Named for an African Modernist Artist". NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington. 3 February 2009. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2011.