Onyeka Ibe (born 29 September 1971) is a Nigerian-born American

abstract expressionist Abstract expressionism in the United States emerged as a distinct art movement in the aftermath of World War II and gained mainstream acceptance in the 1950s, a shift from the American social realism of the 1930s influenced by the Great Depressi ...

painter. He achieved success at the age of 16 when he first exhibited his work at The

National Gallery of Modern Art, Lagos The National Gallery of Modern Art, Lagos (NGMA) is a major art gallery in Lagos, the largest city of Nigeria. It is a permanent exhibition of the National Gallery of Art, a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orient ...

. Described as one of the most exciting young painters to emerge from

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

since the 1990s, he was awarded "The Best SOLO Artist of the Year 2006" at the International Artexpo New York. In July 2007, Art Business News profiled and named him as one of "Today’s Top Artist". Ibe obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Benin, Nigeria.

Personal life

Ibe was born on 29 September 1971. He was born not long after the end of the

Nigerian civil war The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), also known as the Biafran War, Nigeria-Biafra War, or Biafra War, was fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a Secession, secessionist state which had declared its independen ...

and grew up in a developing democracy that was abruptly terminated. He has described his father as a major influence, who encouraged him to pursue fine arts from a young age. His art style and techniques were influenced by the work of Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock.

References

External links

* Living people 1971 births Abstract expressionist artists American artists Nigerian contemporary artists American contemporary artists American artists of Nigerian descent {{Nigeria-painter-stub