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 Smithsonian to honour Onobrakpeya at closing ceremony of ‘The Mask and the Cross’

Art has been my lifelong journey of connecting history, spirituality, and humanity. Being honoured by the National Museum of African Art is a profound milestone, and I hope this exhibition continues to inspire a deeper appreciation of African culture worldwide

LEGENDARY artist and culture patron, Bruce Onobrakpeya, will be honoured at the closing ceremony of his ongoing exhibition, The Mask and the Cross at the National Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian in the United States.

Scheduled to hold from January 10 to 12, the ceremony is designed to wrap up the ground-breaking exhibition, which has in past months further put the works of the nonagenarian artist on a global scale.

Opened June 21, the exhibition ends on January 21, 2025, “Bruce Onobrakpeya: The Mask and the Cross” features works by the artist from 1966 through 1978, a period when he completed multiple commissions for the Catholic Church, including his seminal “Fourteen Stations of the Cross” series. The exhibition also recognises Onobrakpeya’s legacy—inspiring generations of visual artists in Nigeria—with artworks from the museum’s collection that reflect Onobrakpeya’s influence.

According to a press statement from the Bruce Onobrakpeya Foundation, BOF, dignitaries expected at the event include: Dr. Perkins Foss , a celebrated art historian,  Aki Debayo Doherty, a globally respected art collector, and Lauren Tate Baeza , curator of The Mask and the Cross, who is travelling from Atlanta for the event.

“The ceremony will also welcome alumni of St. Gregory’s College North America , distinguished members of the Nigerian diaspora, and elite art collectors — all uniting to honour Onobrakpeya’s unparalleled contributions to art and culture,” stated the statement, signed by Dr Mudiare Onobrakpeya, director of the Foundation,

Known for masterfully blending African spirituality, cultural heritage, and modern artistic techniques, Onobrakpeya, a pioneer of contemporary African art, holds the Smithsonian Lifetime Achievement Award and the UNESCO Living Human Treasure Award. His art has become a beacon of inspiration for generations of artists, collectors, and cultural enthusiasts around the world.

“Prof. Onobrakpeya’s illustrious career reflects the transformative power of art. His works transcend cultural and geographical boundaries, offering a timeless message of connection and innovation. This closing ceremony is not just an end—it is a celebration of a legacy that will forever resonate in the global art narrative.”

Reflecting on this recognition, Onobrakpeya stated, “Art has been my lifelong journey of connecting history, spirituality, and humanity. Being honoured by the National Museum of African Art is a profound milestone, and I hope this exhibition continues to inspire a deeper appreciation of African culture worldwide.”

“This extraordinary celebration is the culmination of months of meticulous planning, led by Dr. Mudiare Onobrakpeya, Kagbare Onobrakpeya Rowland, and their Atlanta-based team. Their efforts also extended to coordinating exhibitions at both the High Museum of Art in Atlanta and the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C.”

Veronica wipes Jesus’ face 1969 Bruce Onobrakpeya born 1932 Purchased with funds provided by the Africa Acquisitions Committee 2019 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/P82234

 

About the Exhibition: 

SHOWCASING works of Bruce Onobrakpeya, the exhibition was viewed June 21 through Jan. 21, 2025, “Bruce Onobrakpeya: The Mask and the Cross” will feature works by the artist from 1966 through 1978, a period when he completed multiple commissions for the Catholic Church, including his seminal “Fourteen Stations of the Cross” series. The exhibition will also recognize Onobrakpeya’s legacy—inspiring generations of visual artists in Nigeria—with artworks from the museum’s collection that reflect Onobrakpeya’s influence.

“Central to the exhibition ‘Bruce Onobrakpeya: The Mask and the Cross’ lies a profound cultural significance and institutional collaboration,” said guest curator Janine Gaëlle Dieudji. “It not only celebrates the outstanding career of the esteemed artist Dr. Bruce Onobrakpeya, who was the honoree at the National Museum of African Art’s 50th anniversary, but also represents global Africa through the lens of spirituality. The works of artists, whose printmaking practices significantly shaped and advanced contemporary art in Nigeria in the 1960s, further enrich this narrative.”

Blending Christian iconography, Nigerian folklore and West African traditions, Onobrakpeya’s art interprets spiritualism through a global lens. Biblical stories are presented with Nigerian characters and environments, such as the “Passion of Christ” depicting Roman soldiers in British military uniforms and Jesus in Nigerian robes. In an interview with Lauren Tate Baeza, the Fred and Rita Richman Curator of African Art at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Onobrakpeya said that he intended to “bring out what Christ means to our people in a way they can understand.” He synthesized Western influences with traditional African cultures, helping redefine artistic traditions in postcolonial Nigeria.

A section of the exhibition developed exclusively for the National Museum of African Art features works by Onobrakpeya’s contemporaries represented in the museum’s collection. These Nigerian printmakers similarly explore faith and spirituality through the lens of African heritage and mythology. Artist Rufus Ogundele blends his Christian upbringing under the Anglican Christ Mission Society with traditional West African culture, particularly imagery of the Yoruba god of iron Ogun, in his linocuts. The result was a hybrid illustration of Christian stories and Nigerian aesthetics. Four additional printmakers featured in this section include Adebisi Fabunmi, Yinka Adeyemi, Solomon Irein Wangboje and Oluwole Olayemi.

“Seeing Bruce Onobrakpeya’s works in dialogue with his peers reveals the conversational nature of artistic practice—in Nigeria, on the African continent and broadly across time and geographies,” said John K. Lapiana, interim director of the National Museum of African Art. “As the museum celebrates its 60th anniversary, the works and themes in this exhibition reflect many of the ideas that the museum was founded on: exploring cross-cultural influences and perspectives, developing and articulating diverse cultural identities, and presenting the rich variety of African art.”

Originally organized and shown at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta in 2023, this is Onobrakpeya’s first major solo exhibition at a museum in the United States. Programming related to the exhibition will be announced later this year.

The presentation at the National Museum of African Art is supported by Lilly Endowment Inc.

About Bruce Onobrakpeya

ONOBRAKPEYA (born 1932) began his training as a painter at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology in Zaria, northern Nigeria, in 1957. In 1958, he became a founding member of the Zaria Arts Society, which formed at the college to decolonize the visual arts and ultimately developed the “natural synthesis” aesthetic philosophy, which fused African artistic tradition with Western techniques to visually articulate a new national and cultural identity in early postcolonial Nigeria. His career has spanned over six decades, during which he developed new printmaking techniques, experimented with existing modes of artmaking and established himself as pioneer in West African modern and contemporary art.

  • https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/national-museum-african-art-presents-bruce-onobrakpeya-mask-and-cross

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