UZO EGONU | TRAFALGAR SQUARE

Olu Oguibe, Uzo Egonu: An African Artist in the West, Seattle, 1995, illustrated p. 113

Eddie Chambers, Black Artists in British Art: A History from 1950 to the Present, London, 2014, illustrated p. 59, 60

Olu Oguibe, The Culture Game, 2004, illustrated p. 67

Kwesi Owusu, Black British Culture and Society: A Text Reader, 2000, p. 553

London, Museum of London, Uzo Egonu's London, 23 September 2004-9 January 2005

London, Guildhall Art Gallery, Architecture of London, 31 May 2019–1 December 2019

London played a principal role in the subject matter of Uzo Egonu’s work. Through his artwork, the artist depicted many facets of the city with particular focus on landmarks and monuments such as St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Piccadilly Circus. Egonu’s work incorporates an arresting colour palette of vibrant, bold hues within a fusion of abstract, caricature and photo-realistic styles.

Trafalgar Square is emblematic of Egonu’s ‘Landmark’ series, presenting a kaleidoscopic vision of London through both a humorous and emotional lens. The image depicts Nelsons column, the central fountain at Trafalgar square, comprised of mermaids and dolphins, around which buses, and traffic swirl. Egonu depicts a birds-eye view of the lively and restless permeated with culture.

The Landmark Series was pivotal for Egonu. The artist’s work harmoniously combines aesthetic traditions of both the West and Africa, reshaping the definition of Modernist art. Trafalgar Square exemplifies these stylistic components and echoes the Cubist movement, Nigerian ornamentation and 1960s British pop-art, all of which greatly inspired Egonu's work.