Ladi Kwali

Collection of Dr. Russel J Parkes, Nigeria (acquired directly from the artist in early 1970s)

Thence by descent

Upheld as one of Nigeria’s most celebrated artists, Ladi Kwali attained international acclaim for her masterful command of clay and unrivalled craftsmanship. Raised in the Gwari region of Nigeria, Kwali received her pottery training in the traditional coil-building style from her aunt as a young child. She quickly established herself as a standout talent, creating work with remarkable symmetry entirely by hand. By 1951, when a national pottery centre in Abuja had been established with the help of British potter Michael Cardew, Kwali had become a master amongst her contemporaries. Her pots were used as exemplary specimens for teaching at the pottery centre for forty years after they were first produced.

Cardew was a keen promoter and supporter of Kwali and other female makers and brought her to Britain in the 1960s to give demonstrations across the country. She quickly gained a stellar reputation, especially after introducing Western audiences to her iconic style of sgraffito decoration. Requiring a great deal of aesthetic conviction and expressiveness, Kwali’s decorative technique involves drawing geometric, semi-abstracted motifs directly onto the leather-hard clay. The present lot is a fine example of the style which brought her global recognition; her works often featured forms resembling animals such as crocodiles, snakes, and lizards – animals possessing significant cultural and religious value amongst various West African ethnic groups.

The influence that Kwali had over makers both in her native Nigeria (where the pottery was later renamed The Ladi Kwali Pottery Centre in her honour) and in Europe and North America was far-reaching, and her influence can be seen in the work of makers today, such as Dame Magdalene Odundo (lot 6). She is widely remembered in Nigeria as a pioneering artist. She is commemorated on the national currency, where an illustration of the artist features on the twenty Naira banknote, and has been in circulation since 2007.