NAME: NASIR USMAN MANI

REG. NO: NID/MMP/21/0082

DEPT: MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGY
COURSE: HISTORY OF ART
TITLE: ASSIGNMENT

INTRODUCTION
The first use of the word art began from a Latin word “ars” meaning art, skill or crafts. It was
from this word that the word art was first used in the 13th century manuscripts. But the definition
of art varies by philosophy; mostly it falls between aesthetic and its social importance in the
society. So in that case, the definitions fell under three categories.
In African society, each art form one or more social or cultural functions which are tied to the
shared behavior and culture of the people, the ways in which they organize their society and to
make a living. African artist angled with the live soft he people and which survives as a record of
their beliefs, aspirations and needs, physically, emotionally and psychologically1
The history of Nigerian art is fascinating. The dawn of the 15th century saw an explosion in the
art scene. ... The 19th century saw the prominence of arts from the Nok, Benin, Igbo Ukwu,
Owo, Esie and Ife artworks. Today, these artworks energise Nigerian creatives to produce works
within obvious traditions and practices. Art history is the study of objects of art considered
within their time period. Art historians analyze visual arts' meaning (painting, sculpture,
architecture) at the time they were created.
Q-1
Nigerian culture is demonstrated through art, dance, literature, folklore, and music. ... Bronze
works in Igbo- Ukwu, which can be found in Enugu, towers above the ancient works of Nigerian
art. The Igbo-Ukwu bronzes with their intricate designs, are well known as Ife works.
(1)Sculptures: the tradition of sculpture making in Nigeria dated back
to 500BC. Statues and statuettes of ceramics, bronze, terracotta
and brass were found in Nigeria. Such arts resembled realistic
statues and masks and they represent kings orancestors, some of
them were deities and housed in shrine sand temples.

ii) Wood carvers: Benin and Awka, forinstance, were considered tobe
centre of wood carving. Wood carver shad been thriving throughout
the south of Nigeria from time immemorial. They create figures for
temple sand representation of the spiritual image of earth, sea, sky
water, fireandthunder.
Wood carvers also created decorative practical implements such
as house hold uten sils, figurines for shrines, decorative panel sand
doors for homes. Carvedivorywasalsousedforjewelryandsmall
decorative items that were place datal tarsinhonor of ancestors.

iii) Pottery: thear to making pottery had beena long standing tradition
in Nigeria and it isusually practiced in allethnic group sand
basically dominated by women.The raw material used in making
pottery are clay and water and it involved the process of digging of
clay, pounding, soaking, sifting, kneading, and shaping the clay into
various items like cookingwls, drinking containers for
fetching and storage, funeraryurns etc.
Clay pots were important items in traditional Nigerian worship.
These pots were decorated with reliefs of animal symbols which
reflected some attributes of divinity. Some of these pots were used
as containers for storing sacred water and pebbles, medicinal
preparations and other items of worship.

iv) Textile: traditional textile wornin Africa before colonial rule had
different meaning. Chiefs, traditional healers, elderly men and
women also wear clothing with different symbols to show their
status or positions in the society. Red and black garments signify
for thetraditionalhealers,whilebluesignifiesroyalty.Anexample
ofsymbolsinclothingistheAdinkaclothfrom nativeGhana.This
cloth was decorated with symbols that represented historical
events, regional proverbs, ideology and aspects of daily life.

(v) Architecture: the traditional house forms provided the bed rock of
indigenous architecture. The African compound reflects the
extended family structure. In the houses of Yoruba land, houses
were built around the ancestralrestingplaceandcourtyardsbear
imagesofreveredgodsorpersonalitiesandthemuralsonthe
walls represents human experience or symbols of religious
relevance.
While Islamic influence in Hausa states in the 15th century gave way
for constructions of mosques that were similar to Mali andbSonghai
empires. The earliest mosques in the north were in Bauchi, Sokoto
and Zaria. Mosques in Hausa lands pots thear tisticcalligraphy
written in Arabic which mostly containsverses of Quran.
TraditionalvIgbo houses reflected its culture in architecture which
included shrine stoances torsand houses were decorated with
bright paint sand sculpted images.

(vi) Glass and coral beads: these bead swere crafted by men who
usually in herit such profession. Beads were made into jewelries and
sometimes charms were applied to them. In African countries,
beads were used ascurrency and wealth and status could beeasily
determined by the quality, quantity and style of the jewelry way.

Q-2

1- Peju Alatise is a Nigerian artist, poet, writer, and a fellow at the National Museum of African
Art, part of the Smithsonian Institution. Alatise received formal training as an architect at Ladoke
Akintola University in Oyo State, Nigeria. She began her art career with painting, then branched
out to be a multimedia artist, using beads, cloth, resin and other materials. She now works in
sculpture, using her art to make statements about social issues, while incorporating literature,
symbolism and traditional Yoruba mythology into her works.

2-Yusuf Grillo was a Nigerian contemporary artist known for his inventive works and the
prominence of the color blue in many of his paintings. He was president of the Society of
Nigerian Artists. Born: 1934, Colonial Nigeria Died: 23 August 2021. Cause of death:
Coronavirus disease 2019 Period: Contemporary art he was a Nigerian contemporary artist
known for his inventive works and the prominence of the color blue in many of his paintings. He
was president of the Society of Nigerian Artists.

3-Okeke's life embodies a historical moment: born in Kafanchan, near Zaria, in the North of
Nigeria to Igbo parents, Okeke grew up in a very multiethnic environment. He later went to
schools at the Metropolitan College, Onitsha and the Bishop Shanahan School, Orlu. Uche was
appointed lecturer and acting head of Fine Arts Department at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka,
from 1971 to 1985. He transformed their curriculum to have more of a focus on African
indigenous art and design which he believed would benefit the development of modern and
contemporary African Art.
4- Odinigwe Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu MBE, better known as Ben Enwonwu, was a
Nigerian painter and sculptor. Arguably the most influential African artist of the 20th century,
his pioneering career opened the way for the postcolonial.

5- Nnenna Okore (born in Australia, 1975) is an artist who works both in Nigeria and the United
States. Her largely abstract sculptures are inspired by textures, colors and forms within her
immediate milieu.[1] Okore's work frequently uses flotsam or discarded objects to create
intricate sculptures and installations through repetitive and labor-intensive techniques.[2] She
learned some of her methods, including weaving, sewing, rolling, twisting and dyeing,[3] by
watching local Nigerians perform daily tasks.[2][4] Most of Okore's work explores detailed
surfaces and biomorphic formations, and her work has been shown in galleries and museums in
and outside of the United States.[2][3][5][6] She has won several international awards, including
a Fulbright Scholar Award in 2012. Nnenna Okore Born Nnenna Okore 1975Thursday Island,
Australia Nationality Nigerian and Australian Education University of Nigeria, Nsukka,
University of Iowa Known for sculpture, installation art Awards Fulbright Scholarship.
Okore is currently a professor of art at North Park University in Chicago, where she teaches
sculpture.[8] The daughter of a professor and a librarian, she often examines her American
identity versus her Nigerian identity and the contrasts between her homeland with that of the
States.[2]African Art Paintings By Nigerian Artst - Art, Graphics & Video - Nairaland
Nairaland Forum / Science/Technology / Art, Graphics & Video / African Art Paintings By
Nigerian Artst (4466 Views)

orn.