National Museum exhibits Enwonwu’s 1956 masterpiece of Queen Elizabeth II

In partnership with Coronation Group Ltd., the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) has unveiled a permanent exhibition of Late Ben Enwonwu’s 1956 sculptural masterpiece of Queen Elizabeth II.

The exhibition, “Building A Nation: Ben Enwonwu and the Impact of Sculpture,” was unveiled at NCMM in Lagos on Tuesday. It was also presented in partnership with Fine Art Auctioneers Bonhams.

The exhibition entailed a dynamic look into the career of Nigerian master sculptor, the late Enwonwu, as the exhibition took art lovers through his production process of the masterpiece.

It also featured some of the artist’s world-famous works, highlighting his influence on Nigerian and pan-African art worldwide.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the bronze sculpture of Elizabeth II by Ben Enwonwu was commissioned by the Queen on her visit to Nigeria in 1956. She sat for Mr Enwonwu in London in 1957. He completed it in London and exhibited it at the Royal Society of British Artists exhibition in November 1957.

The over-life-sized statue depicts the Queen seated with her hands on her lap.

Olugbile Holloway, Director-General of NCMM with Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman of Coronation Group Ltd

National treasure

During the exhibition, Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, described the late Enwonwu as a national treasure whose works must be visible.

Ms Musawa also spoke on the role of cultural preservation in nation-building.

“Ben Enwonwu is one of the national treasures, not only of Nigeria but of Africa. This is something that I think every Nigerian and every African should be privy to.

“One of our core mandates as a ministry and as government is to work for the private sector. Of my eight-point agenda, I think for us, number five is really about public-private partnership, and we have incorporated this into every project we’re doing,” she said.

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairperson of Coronation Group Ltd., highlighted the need for the private sector to be an integral part of Africa’s cultural preservation movement. He said: “The private sector has a role to play in this preservation efforts, whether from a funding perspective, launching their galleries, celebrating local art, or helping to promote the work of both contemporary and classic artists.

“We take great pride in helping to make more of Enwonwu’s work accessible to the Nigerian public.”

Mr Aig-Imoukhuede noted that art and culture remained the strongest things Africa had given to the world. He revealed how his understanding and belief in excellence were revealed through art.

He said this was as early as four years old, when his mother worked as a staff member at the museum, and he had to visit the place after school every day.

“I started coming to this museum when my mother worked here as a curator when I was four. I think the most vital things Africa has given the world are arts and culture. I remember listening to debates in this museum about who inspired whom, Picasso or Enwonwu. My understanding and belief in excellence were revealed in art, not in banking, not in finance, not in science, not in technology, but art,” he said.

Mr Aig-Imoukhuede noted that, given art’s enormous importance, the Coronation Group would subsequently be committed to preserving its works in the museum.

Given the current dollar exchange rate, he said that Mr Enwonwu’s masterpiece of Queen Elizabeth II was a priceless artwork.

“So, I would encourage you to take a piece of history and take a photograph with this priceless work. Send it out, tweet it. Let people know we are taking Nigerian and African art to a new level. We need to give our children and our children’s children that experience we lived in. So, we shall preserve this museum and maintain and support the work of Gbile and other leaders in the arts and culture sector working for the government.

“We shall do it the way every other nation does it because government is never going to be enough, where people like you and I will step forward as individuals and institutions and do what must be done to preserve our arts and culture.

“I don’t know how long it’s going to take, but I hope we will invite everybody back to see the transformation, your storage areas, and everything that must be done,” he said.

Ancient Nigerian art and modern artistic expressions

According to Olugbile Holloway, Director-General of NCMM, the exhibition draws parallels between ancient Nigerian art and modern artistic expressions.

Mr Holloway said this was done by exploring Enwonwu’s role in shaping cultural and national identity, particularly in the years preceding Nigeria’s independence.

“We are here today to pay homage to the past. Not just our fight for independence but also the spirit of self-determination that was burning across our continent at the time. I am unsure if speaking of a renewed hope agenda is possible without first alluding to renewed heritage.

“The National Commission for Museums and Monuments remains committed to ensuring that our past is not left to decay, and I invite you all to join us on this epic journey,” he said.

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Researcher and Art Historian Neil Coventry explained that sculptures have been powerful vessels for capturing and preserving cultural narratives throughout history. He said that Enwonwu’s late work used the sculptural form to delve into complex themes like African identity and Nigeria’s artistic narrative.

“This exhibition highlights the significance of storytelling through Enwonwu’s sculptures, which breathe life into historical, spiritual and social narratives, connecting Nigeria’s past with its future,” he said.

(NAN)