Uche Okeke

**Christopher Uchefuna Okeke** (; bɛ dɔɣi o la silimiingoli April bɛɣu pihita dali , yuuni 1933 – ka o kani silimiingoli January dabaanu dali, yuuni 2016), salo pam lahi mi o la  **Uche Okeke** (), o daa nyɛla ŋun nyɛ ; illustrator, painter, sculptor, n ti pahi karimba. O daa nyɛla nucheeni tuma lana, ni aesthetic theorist, seminal n zaŋti  Nigerian modernism.

## O taarihi
Christopher Uchefuna Okeke nyɛla bɛ ni daa dɔɣi so silimiingoli April bɛɣu pihita dali,  yuuni  1933 tiŋyuli booni Nimo, Njikoka Local Government Area n be  Anambra State, ka di be  southeastern region of Nigeria,  ka o laambi nyɛ Isaac Okonkwo Okeke mini  Monica Mgboye Okeke (née Okoye). Binshɛɣu din gbaagi yuuni  1940 hali ni yuuni 1953, o daa nyɛla ŋun chaŋ shikuriti  yuya  booni St. Peter Claver's (Primary) School, Kafanchan, Metropolitan College, Onitsha, and Bishop Shanahan College, Orlu, Nigeria, lala saha ŋɔ o daa pun nyɛla ŋun niŋ kɔre pam ni durɔɔyibu.

## O tuma sɔli

In 1958, he became the founder and Director of Asele Institute and Documentation Center, Nimo, Nigeria.

1986–2006	Visiting professor and external examiner, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, 
	Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Obafemi Awolowo University (formerly University of Ife).

Federal Polytechnic, Oko. Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria.

1970–85	University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
		Positions held;
		Acting Head of Department, Fine and Applied Arts Department
		Dean Faculty of Arts
		Director, Institute of African Studies.

1981–82	Honorary Fellow, Department of Textile and Clothing Design, and Art History, University of Minnesota, USA (one-year sabbatical leave).

1968	Refugee Affairs Committee, Aba, Nigeria.

1964–67	Director, Mbari Art Centre, Uwani, Enugu, Nigeria.

1964–66	Artistic Director and Designer, Enugu Musical Society, Enugu, Nigeria.

1961–62	Freelance artist and Director, Cultural Centre, Kafanchan, Nigeria.

1961	Publications Artist, Federal Ministry of Information, Lagos.

1959	Founder/Director, Cultural Centre Kafanchan (now Asele Institute Nimo),	Nigeria.

1958-61	Founder/First Secretary/Second President, Art Society, Nigerian College of Arts Science and Technology, Zaria, Nigeria.

1955–57	Clerk, Department of Labour, Jos and Lagos, Nigeria.

1956	Organising Assistant, Exhibition of Nigerian Painting and Drawing, Jos Museum, Jos, Nigeria.

1954–55	Designer, visual aids, St. Peter Claver's Catholic and College of Mary Immaculate Heart
	Practicing Schools, Kafanchan, Nigeria.

## O tuma nima

### Solo exhibitions
*2006		*Another Modernity: Works on Paper by Uche Okeke*, Newark Museum, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
*2003		Retrospective solo exhibition, Pendulum Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria
*1982		*Contemporary Nigerian Prints, Drawings and Paintings: Uche Okeke*. Katherine E. Nash Gallery, University of Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA.
**		*Homage to Asele, Exhibition of Prints, Drawings and Paintings: Uche Okeke*, African American Cultural Centre, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
*1979		Retrospective Exhibition of Drawings and Prints, German Cultural Centre, Lagos, Nigeria.
*1978		Graphik Aus Nigeria, Germany.
*1963	Exhibition of Mosaics and stained glass window, Franz Mayer and Company, Munich, Germany.
*1962	Exhibition of drawings, Rott am Inn, Germany.

### Group exhibitions
*2010		Nigerian 50th Independence Exhibition, Abuja, Nigeria.
**		*Afro Modern: Journeys through the Black Atlantic*, Tate Modern, Liverpool.
**NIVATOUR, Group Exhibition by the National Gallery of Art, Abuja, Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt.
*2009		Society of Nigerian Artists Anniversary Exhibition, Omenka Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria.
**		Group Exhibition in honour of Chinua Achebe and the 50th anniversary of *[[Things Fall Apart]]*.
*2008		ARESUVA, National Gallery of Art, Abuja, Nigeria.
*2006		*Another Modernity: Works on paper by Uche Okeke*, Newark Museum, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
*2002	*Poetics of Line: Seven Artists of the Nsukka Group*, National Museum of African Art,	Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.
*1995	*Seven Stories about Modern Art in Africa*, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London.
*1977	Exhibition of African Contemporary Art, Howard University, Department of Art, College of Fine Arts, Washington D.C. USA.
**		Exhibition of Nigerian Contemporary Art (FESTAC), National Council for Arts and Culture, Lagos.
*1976	Joint Exhibition of prints and textiles, Department of Human Environment and Design/African Studies Centre, Kresge Gallery, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan USA.
*1974	*African Prints, an Exhibition of Contemporary African Art*, Kresge Art Gallery, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
*1972	Group Exhibition, Nasprstek Museum, Prague, Czechoslovakia.
*1969	*Kunst aus Biafra*, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Bonn, Trier, Dortmund, Essen and Munich,	Germany.
*1966	World Festival of Negro Arts Exhibition, Dakar, Senegal
*1967	*Drei Kreuzwege – Drei Kontinente*, with Hansen-Bahia (Germany) and Vivial Ellis (USA), Munich, Germany.
*1964	Group Exhibition, Harmon Foundation Inc., New York, USA.
*1963/64	Three-man show with Ibrahim el-Salahi (Sudan) and Valente Malagantana (Mozambique), Committee for Cultural Freedom, India and Pakistan.
*1962	Group Exhibition, Rhodes National Gallery, Salisbury, Rhodesia.
**Gallery Lambert, Paris, France.
**	Ugandan Independence Art Exhibition, Kampala.

### Commissioned work
*2015    OIS Services passport and Visa Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa.
*1989	Oko Cross, St. John's Anglican Church, Oko, Anambra State.
**	Portraits of Father Iwene Tansi, commissioned by the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Onitsha, Anambra State	
*1976	Park and fountain designs for the Open Spaces Development Commission, Anambra State.
*1975	Fourteen Stations of the Cross, St Peter's Catholic Church chapel, University of Nigeria Nsukka.
*1971–74	Designed Archbishop's Throne and portals, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Onitsha, Anambra State.
*1971	Designed and produced carved wooden doors for Holy Trinity Cathedral, Onitsha, Anambra State.
*1967	Stage design for television serial, Heritage, ENTV production.
*1966	EDI Sculpture, Enugu Campus, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
**	Film titles design, Eastern Nigeria Information Service's Film Division, Enugu, Nigeria.
**Sketch designs for the wrought-metal screen wall, Anglican Church chapel, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
**Designed robes for the Presbyterian Church Choir, Uwani, Enugu.
*1965	Illustrated Chinua Achebe's *Things Fall Apart*
**	Designed book jacket and cover for John Munonye's *[[The Only Son (novel)|The Only Son]]*
*1964	Designed Boys Scouts of Nigeria Badges
**	Designed Oil Murals and Paintings for the Eastern Nigeria Central Library, Children's Section. Theme: Animals in Procession.
*1962–63	Three murals in mosaic and stained glass for Franz Meyer and Company, Munich, Germany.
*1961	Mural for the Mbari Artists and Writers Club House and Gallery, Ibadan, Nigeria.
*1960	*Mother Nigeria and Her Children*, mural for Independence Exhibition, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.

## O kpaŋmaŋ pina nima
*2009	Federal Government Award for distinguished service in the Arts and Culture Sector.
*2001	Presidential award of MFR by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
*1977	Prize for Terra Cotta Sculpture titled Dance of Unity, Murtala Mohammed International Sculpture competition, Lagos.
*1973	British Council Bursary Award
*1972	Illustrator of the Year 1972, for *Tales of Land of Death, Igbo Folk Tales*, published by Doubleday, New York, awarded by National UNESCO Commission's Book of the Year competition.
*1971	Drama award by the African Studies Centre, University of California, USA.
*1962–63	Fellowship award to study mosaic and stained-glass window techniques awarded by the West German government.
*1960	Poetry prize in a national literary competition organized by the National Arts Council.
*1959	First place Esso Inc., Nigerian Independence calendar design competition, Lagos.
*1958–61 Nigerian Federal Government Scholarship
*1957	Out-of-doors painting award by the Head of Department of Fine Art, NCAST, Zaria.

## Honors, distinctions, and memberships
*1987 Member, Adjudication Panel, Biennale of Children's Book Illustration, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia.
*1985 Member, Nigerian Delegation to UNESCO General Conference, Sophia, Bulgaria
*1984 Delegate, International Artists’ Congress, Helsinki, Finland.
*1983 Member, Nigerian Delegation to UNESCO General Conference, Paris, France.
*1981 UNESCO Delegate to the 24th General Conference, Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
*1979 Children's Books on Africa and their Authors, an annotated bibliography – Nancy J. Schmidt. New York and London: Africana Publishing Company.
*1978 Member of Editorial Board, *[[Black Orpheus (magazine)|Black Orpheus]]*, University of Lagos.
*1978 Chairman of the Cultural Sector, UNESCO Commission, Lagos.
*1977 *Africa Yearbook and Who's Who* *1977, London, Africa Journal Ltd.
*1977 *International Directory of Scholars and Specialists in African Studies*, 1st edition, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA: Brandels University African Studies Association.
*1976–77 Member, Visual Arts Committee, FESTAC '77, Lagos.
*1976–77 Member of International Association of Artists (IIA), Paris, France.
*1976–77 Vice-President Society for Nigerian Artists.
*1976 Associate member, the Nigerian Art Education Association (NAEA), Reston, Virginia, USA.
*1976 Member of Nigerian Society for Education Through Art (NSEA) Lagos.
*1975 Member, International Society of Education Through Art (INSEA), Hereford, England.
*1974 *International Directory of Arts*, 12th edition, Verlag Muller GMBH and Company K.G. Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
*1974 American Council on Education Lecture Tour to 8 American Universities in the USA.
*1971 Member review panel W.A.E.C. Art Syllabus.
*1971 Iskusstuo Stran I Narodov Mira Vol.3 Soviet Arts Encyclopedia, Moscow, USSR.
*1971–78 Member of Advisory Committee, Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
*1971–76 Member of East Central State Arts Council and Chief Art Organiser for the State Festival of Arts.
*1970 Member of International Bibliophile Association, Paris, France.

## Papers and publications
*2010	*Nigeria @ 50*, a publication by the Federal Government of Nigeria in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Nigeria's independence.
*2003	*NKU DI NA MBA: Uche Okeke and Modern Nigerian Art*, National Gallery of Art, Lagos.
**	*The Triumph of a Vision: an Anthology on Uche Okeke and Modern Art in Nigeria*, Pendulum Art Gallery.
*2001	*Historical Sketch of the Growth of the Catholic Church in Nimo*, publication for 50th Anniversary of Our Lady of Assumption Parish in Nimo, Anambra State.
*1998	*The Zaria Art Society: A New Consciousness*, National Gallery of Art, Lagos.
*1995	*Seven Stories about Modern Art in Africa*, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London
*1991	*Terms of Art: Contemporary Nigerian Art in the International Context*, Ministry of Culture, Nordrhine-Westfalen/Kunstsammilung Nordrhine-Westfalen, Düsseldorf, Germany.
*1990	*Eze Institution in Igboland*, by Hanny Hahn-Waanders, Asele Institute Documentation Centre, Nimo, Anambra State.
*1982	*Art in Development: A Nigerian Perspective*, Asele Institute Documentation Centre and the African American Cultural Center, Minneapolis, US.
*1976	"Search for the Theoretical Basis of Contemporary Art", paper presented at the International Symposium on Contemporary Art, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
**	Modern Nigerian Art, Documentation Centre, Asele Institute, Nimo.
**	Igbo Art, Asele Institute, Nimo.
*1971	*Tales of Land of Death: Igbo folktales* by Uche Okeke, Doubleday, Zenith Books.
*1969	*Geschichte der Ibo Kunst*, Dortmund Lecture No. 97, Dortmund: Kulturamt der Stadt Dortmund.
*1961	*Drawings by Uche Okeke*, intro. Ulli Beier, Ibadan. Mbari Productions.

## Public and private collections
*National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.
*National Gallery of Art, Abuja, Nigeria.
*Baltimore Museum of Art, Maryland, USA.
*Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA.
*Newark Museum, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
*Iwalewa Haus, Bayreuth, Germany.
*Staatliche Graphische Sammlung, Munich Germany.
*Franz Mayer Hofkunstanstalt, Munich, Germany.
*Tate Modern Gallery, Liverpool, United Kingdom
*OYASAF Foundation, Lagos, Nigeria.
*Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art, Lagos, Nigeria
*Broadcast House Radio Nigeria, Kaduna, Nigeria.
*Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
*University of Lagos, Nigeria.
*Holy Trinity Cathedral, Nigeria.
*National Council for Arts and Culture, Lagos, Nigeria.
*Murtala Mohammed international Airport Lagos.
*Akademie der Kunst, Berlin, Germany.
*State House, Enugu, Nigeria.
*Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
*Dolly Fitterman Art Gallery Inc, Minneapolis, USA.
*Beke Memorial Hospital, Nimo, Nigeria.
*Ministry of Education and Information, Cultural Division, Enugu, Nigeria.
*Mr and Mrs Chellarams.
*Dr Ronald Severino, USA.
*A. R. Jellings, United Kingdom.
*W. J. Plume, United Kingdom.
*Lady Dorothy Head, United Kingdom.
*Frau Gertrude Buchta, Deisenhofen near Munich, Germany.
*Demas Nwoko, Nigeria.
*Mr and Mrs Alec Armstrong, United Kingdom.
*Professor and Mrs Chinua Achebe.

## Kundivihira

*Bio at the National Museum of African Art