Uche Okeke

Private Collection, UK

Please note that images 1&2, 3&4, 5&6, 7&8 are drawn on either side of the same sheet. Image 9 and Image 10 are singular seperate images.

Uche Okeke was an undergraduate at the Nigeria College of Arts, Science and Technology in Zaria (now Ahmadu Bello University) when he, along with classmates Demas Nwoko, Yusuf Grillo, Simon Okeke, Okechukwu Emmanuel Odita, and Bruce Onobrakpeya, founded the Zaria Art Society. As the first higher education art institution in Nigeria, they received traditional Western training in draughtsmanship and observational realism. In response, they established the Zaria Art Society on October 9, 1958, with the goal of challenging the colonial influence of European art education at their institution. This group, later known as the Zaria Rebels, would become pivotal figures in Nigerian modernism.

Their formation occurred during a time of intense nationalistic sentiment and the approaching independence in 1960. The Rebels championed the celebration of indigenous cultures and unique subject matter in their art. Outside the classroom, Okeke and his peers engaged in discussions about the importance of preserving and documenting Nigeria’s diverse traditions and folklore. This philosophy, termed ‘Natural Synthesis,’ is crucial for understanding Okeke’s work. He regarded himself as “a student of Igbo lore and thinking” and believed that “returning to the past is progressive rather than regressive.” Despite incorporating elements of traditional Igbo culture and Uli techniques, Okeke’s art does not merely replicate indigenous styles. Instead, it reveals the intricate interplay between European and African aesthetics.