NWOKO Demas

Muralist, Painter, Sculptor Address: New Culture Studios, N6A/532A Adeola Crescent, PMB 5162, Oremiji, Ibadan, Oyo State. Birth: December 20, 1935, in Idumuje Ugboko, Delta State. Training: Diploma in fine arts, Nigerian College of Arts, Science & Technology, Zaria, 1961, specializing in painting; studied theater decor and fresco painting on a French Government scholarship, Paris, 1961-1962. Profile: Full name, Demas Nwanna Nwoko; designed theater sets, Nigeria, France and Mexico, 1962-1968; conducted summer school in terracotta art, Extra-Mural Department, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, 1965; lecturer, Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan; theater design consultant, Ibadan Cultural Centre, Oyo State Government, 1974; staged his play, "The Children of Paradise," FESTAC, 1977; established New Culture magazine, Ibadan, November 1978; participant, Rockefeller Foundation conference, Bellagio, Italy, 1980; theatre design consultant, Onikan Cultural Centre, Lagos State Government, 1985; freelance artist and architect, Ibadan; designer/ builder, Dominican Monastery, Ibadan, Benedictine Monastery, Ewu, Bendel State Cultural Centre, Benin, New Culture Studios, Ibadan, and private residences in his town, Idumuje Ugboko; belonged to the Zaria Art Society. Member: Society of Nigerian Artists. Solo Exhibitions Exhibition Centre, Lagos, 1968. Nwoko 305 "Demas Nwoko: A Retrospective," Centre for Cultural Studies, University of Lagos, Lagos, May 4-18, 1987. "A Blend of Old and New," Centre for Cultural Studies, University of Lagos, June 1987. Group Exhibitions Independence Exhibition, Lagos, September 20-October 2, 1960. "Kunst aus Zentralafrika," Berlin, Bremen, Dortmund, and Darmstadt, Germany, 1960-1961. Galerie Lambert, Paris, France, 1962. Mbari Club, Ibadan, 1963. "Contemporary African Art," Otis Art Institute of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, March 13-May 4, 1969. [traveled in the USA from 1969-1973 to: Studio Museum in Harlem and NewYork University, NewYork; University of Missouri, Columbia; Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland; West Virginia State College, Institute; North East Missouri State College, Kirskville; Rio Hondo College, Whittier, California; Compton Community College, Compton, California; Citrus College, Azusa, California; Mira Costa College, Oceanside, California, and Civic Arts Gallery, Walnut Creek, California]. "Oeuvres Africaines Nouvelles," Musee de l'Homme, Paris, France, February 13- April 13, 1970. "Modern Malerei in Afrika," Museum fur Volkerkunde, Vienna, Austria, December 1970-February 1971. "NewAfrican Art in Czechoslovakia," Naprstek Museum, Prague, Czechoslovakia, January-April 1972. "Nigerian Contemporary Art Symposium, Nsukka 1976," Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, March 22-25, 1976. FESTAC '77, Lagos, 1977. "Exhibition of Works byContemporary Nigerian Artists," National Theatre, Lagos, September 4-9, 1977. "National Art Exhibition," National Theatre, Lagos, September 30-October 7, 1978. "Christian Arts in Nigeria," Holy Trinity Cathedral, Onitsha, June 1979. "Moderne Kunst aus Afrika," Staatlichen Kunsthalle, Berlin, Germany, June 24- August 12, 1979. "Moderne Kunst in Afrika," Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1980. "Neue Kunst in Afrika," Mainz, Germany, June 1980; Bayreuth, Germany, July- August 1980; Worgl, Austria, September 1980. "National Art Exhibition," National Theatre, Lagos, September 25-October 1, 1980. "Silver Jubilee National Art Exhibition," National Theatre, Lagos, September 26- October 1, 1985. Commissions Murals, Arts &Crafts Pavillion, Independence Exhibition, Lagos, 1960. Mural, "Gift of the Talents," Tedder Hall, Ibadan University, Ibadan. Wood pillars and seats, Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos. Stool and sceptre for investiture, Obi Nwoko III. Seats, Benin Theatre, Benin City. Writings by the Artist Review: Yemi Bisiri: AYoruba Brass Caster (1963) / by Ulli Beier. Black Orpheus (Ibadan) no. 15: 63, August 1964. "Search for a New African Theatre," Presence Africaine (Paris) 75 (third quarter): 49- 75, 1970. M "The Aesthetics of African Art and Culture: Art and the Artist: The Performing Arts," New Culture (Ibadan) 1 (11): 3-5, October 1979. "Art in Traditional African Religion," Nigeria Magazine (Lagos) nos. 110-112: 16-39, 1974. illus. 306 Nwoko "Creativity and Self-Reliance," NewCulture (Ibadan) 1 (1): 7-11, November 1978. illus. [Paper first presented at the Nigerian Contemporary Art Symposium, Nsukka, 1976]. "Contemporary African Arts and the Public," New Culture (Ibadan) 1 (5): 11-19, 1979. [Paper first presented at the Legon Festival of Arts of the Seminaron the Contemporary Arts of Ghana, March 19-21, 1977]. "The Aesthetics of African Art and Culture: The African Concept of Beauty: The Concept of Ugliness," New Culture (Ibadan) 1 (7): 4-6, June 1979. "The Aesthetics of African Art and Culture: The African Concept of Beauty: The Beauty of Old People," [and] "Art in Traditional African Religion," New Culture (Ibadan) 1 (8): 4-8, July 1979. "The Aesthetics of African Art and Culture: The African Concept of Beauty: Cultivated Beauty," New Culture (Ibadan) 1 (9): 4-8, August 1979. "The Aesthetics of African Art and Culture: Art and the Artists," [and] "Planning and Design of the Environment: The Failure of Government-Sponsored Projects," New Culture (Ibadan) 1 (10): 35-37, September 1979. "TheNeed for an African Language Idiom in the Arts," pp. 113-140. In: African Cultural and Intellectual Leaders and the Development ofthe New African Nations I edited byRobert W. July &Peter Benson, Ibadan, Ibadan University Press; New York, The Rockefeller Foundation, 1982. "The Aesthetics of Artin Technology," pp. 201-213. In: The Arts and Civilization of Black and African Peoples, vol. 1: Black Civilization and the Arts, Lagos, Centre for Black & African Arts and Civilization, 1986. Awards & Honors Fellow, Asele Institute, Nimo, 1985. Public Collections Iwalewa-Haus, Bayreuth, Germany. Oil painting onboard: "Mother and Child." National Gallery ofModern Art, Lagos. Oil paintings: "The Soldier" and "The Hunter"; terracotta sculptures: "Dancing Pair" and "TheSoldier." Bibliography Beier, Ulli. "Demos Nwoko, AYoung Nigerian Artist," Black Orpheus (Ibadan) no. 8: 10-11, 1960. 8 plates. Beier, Ulli. 'Three Zaria Artists," West African Review (London) no. 31: 37-41, October 1960. illus. "Exhibition Centre," [review of recent exhibitions held at the Exhibition Centre, Marina, Lagos]. Nigeria Magazine (Lagos) no. 72: 71, March 1962. Lancaster, Michael. "Exhibition Centre, Marina, Lagos," [and] Mbari-A New Venture in Nigerian Culture," 1962 [and] "Murals at U.C.I." Nigeria Magazine (Lagos) no. 74: 91-95, September 1962. illus. "Nigerian Stage Designer," Nigeria Magazine (Lagos) no. 75: 77, December 1962. illus., port. "DemosNwoko," Afrique (Paris) no. 17: 57-61, October 1962. illus. Black Orpheus (Ibadan) no. 15, August 1964. 4 plates ofillus.: "The 1964 Adam and Eve Series" between pages 56 and 57. Odu; AJournal of West African Studies (Ile-Ife): 2 (1) July 1965. [illus. only: plate opposite page 81]. Williams, Denis. "A Revival of Terracotta at Ibadan," Nigeria Magazine (Lagos) no. 88: 4-13, March 1966. illus., port. "Our Authors and Performing Artists-I," Nigeria Magazine (Lagos) no. 88: 57-67, March 1966. port. Barrett, Lindsay. "AStudio for Ibadan," Black Orpheus (Ibadan) 2 (1): 40-41, February 1968. illus. Balogun, Ola. "Demas Nwoko's Quiet Revolution," New Nigerian (Kaduna) November 6, 1971, page 5. illus. Obeta 307 Awoonor, Kofi. "Contemporary Art Forms," pp. 337-346. In the author's The Breast of Earth: A Survey ofthe History, Culture and Literature ofAfrica South ofthe Sahara, New York, NOK, 1975. Beier, Ulli. "Intellectuelle Kunstler in Afrika," pp. 55-67. In: Neue Kunst in Afrika, Berlin, Reimer, 1980. illus., port. Enekwe, Ossie Onuora. Review: "Children of Paradise: A Dance Play," by Demos Nwoko. Okike (Nsukka) no. 23: 123-126, February 1983. John, Magnus. "The Aesthetics of the Vital Arts: Some Images from Black Africa and the Caribbean," pp. 19-37. In: Vital Arts, Vital Libraries; Cultural Life and Tradition in Developing Countries and the Role of Libraries; papers from the IFLA General Conference, Nairobi, Kenya, August 1984. Preston, UK: IFLA Section of Art Libraries, 1985. illus., bibliog. Olanipekun, Tunde. "A Blend of Old and New: Demas Nwoko's Works Reveal a Multi-Faceted Talent," The African Guardian (Lagos) 2 (23): 33, June 18, 1987. illus. Jegede, Dele. Demas Nwoko: A Retrospective. Lagos: Centre for Cultural Studies, University of Lagos, 1987.