Sokari Douglas Camp

Donated by the artist

London, Petronilla Silver Gallery, Lipstick and Agapanthus, 2019

"I am supporting CCA, Lagos because of Bisi, and her love of art and art practice. She believed CCA, Lagos could be a hub for ideas from Nigeria and beyond (without constraints )."

Sokari Douglas Camp creates mesmerizing figural works out of welded steel that seem to defy the constraints of their medium and exude a fluidity rarely seen in metal works of this nature. The discovery of oil in her home town of Buguma, and the resulting exploitation of the land and people of the Niger Delta, is a theme that runs throughout much of the artist’s works. Integral to Douglas Camp’s practice is her fundamental belief that contemporary art is too often created based on intangible or imperceptible concepts. Her work attempts to exist in contrast to this, remaining grounded in tangible and of the moment themes. Her pieces celebrate her heritage whilst commenting on the ongoing hardships and brutal realities experienced by her fellow Nigerians.

Educated at Central Saint Martins and at the Royal Academy of Art in London, Sokari Douglas Camp has represented both Nigeria and the United Kingdom internationally and has partaken in countless exhibitions at prominent locations worldwide, the National Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian being amongst them. The artist was shortlisted for Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth in 2003, and in 2005 Douglas Camp was awarded a CBE for her leadership and dedication to the arts.