Ekong Constance Affiong Afi

Biographical record

Title

Mr

Surname

Afi

First Name

Ekong

Other Names

Constance Affiong

Gender

Female

Source of Publication

NIBC Who's Who (3rd Edition)

Date of Birth

June 26, 1930

Status

Alive

Place of Birth

Duke Town, Calabar, Cross River State

Father's Status

N/A

Mother's Status

N/A

Marital Status

Single

Profession

Graphic Artist, Painter, Textile Artist

Education Level

Others

Schools Attended with Dates

Oxford College of Arts and Technology, London, 1951-1953; St. Martin's School of Fine Arts, London, 1956-1958; studied fine arts and history of costumes, Central School of Arts, London.

Membership of Professional Bodies/Professional Qualifications

American Association of Museums; Nigerian Institute of Management; Royal Commonwealth Society of London; founding member, Society of Nigerian Artists.

Previous Appointments

opened Gallery Labac for Craft & Fine Arts, Lagos, 1961; art manager, Nigeria Arts Council 1961-1966; managing director, The Bronze Gallery, Lagos, from 1966; chairman, cultural sector, UNESCO National Commission, Nigeria, 1973-1975; chairman, International Council of Women Standing Committee, from 1986; helped many artists develop their potential; also designs and makes jewelry.

Have you ever been a member of any political party?

N/A

Creative Work/Major Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions Lagos Festival of Arts, Exhibition Centre, Lagos, 1958. National Museum, Lagos, 1959. Opening Exhibition, USIS, Lagos, 1960. "Afi Ekong," Galeria Galatea, Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 3-15, 1961. J. K. Randle Hall, Lagos, 1962. "Exhibition of Paintings by Afi Ekong," Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, Badagry-Lagos, October 26-November 1, 1989. Group Exhibitions "Art from Africa of Our Time," Phelps-Stokes Fund, New York, USA, December 28, 1961-January 19, 1962. "Inaugural Exhibition of the Society of Nigerian Artists," Exhibition Centre, Lagos, January 16-22, 1964. First World Festival of Negro Arts, Dakar, Senegal, 1966. "Contemporary Nigerian Prints and Paintings," Fourth Ife Festival of the Arts, Gallery of the University of Ife Library, University of Ife, Ile-Ife, December 11- 15, 1971. "National Art Exhibition," National Theatre, Lagos, September 25-October 1, 1980. "First Masters Art Exhibition," Continental Merchant Bank Nigeria, Lagos, November 17-27, 1987. "Nigerian Women in Art," National Gallery of Crafts &Design, Lagos, March 2-7, 1987. "Women Now," National Gallery of Crafts & Design, Lagos, April 30-May 5, 1990. "Images of the Nigerian Nation," National Theatre, Lagos, September 29-October 13, 1990. Awards & Honors Decorated by President Tubman of Liberia with "The Star of Dame Official of the Human Order of African Redemption," 1962; holds titles as a chief of the Efiks, "Effiom of Calabar" and "Ada Idagha ke Efik Iboku of Calabar." Public Collections Didi Museum, Lagos. Carl Van Vechten Gallery of Fine Arts, Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Painting: "Olumo Rock." Hampton University Museum, Hampton, Virginia, USA. Works formerly in the Harmon Foundation Collection. Museum fiir Volkerkunde, Frankfurt, Germany. Oil paintings: "Three Men in a Burning Furnace" and "Helping Hand." National Gallery of Modem Art, Lagos. University of Lagos Library, University of Lagos, Lagos. Painting: "The Meeting." Formerly in the collection of the Federal Societyof Arts & Humanities, Lagos. Bibliography Zaki, Jusufu. "Toward an Art Revolution," [letter to the editor]. Nigeria Magazine (Lagos) no. 87: 235, 304, December 1965. illus. "Our Authors and Performing Artists-II," Nigeria Magazine (Lagos) no. 89: 133-140, June 1966. port. Sogunle, Abiodun. "The Strange World of Afi the Artist," Sunday Post (Lagos) July 7, 1963. "Afi Ekong Clocks Sixty," Arts Illustrated Weekly (Lagos) no. 29: 1, June 28-July 4, 1990. port. Okeke, Uche. Aki Ekong: Painter and Designer. Nimo: Asele Institute, 1991. 130pp. illus.

Residential Address

PO Box 3013, Lagos.