7 Times Uche Okeke Changed the Course of Nigerian Art

Published 08 January 2026 in The Man

Uche Okeke Legacy Editorial


Few artists have left as indelible a mark on Nigerian art as Uche Okeke (1933–2016). From his student days in Zaria to his leadership at Nsukka, Okeke not only made powerful work - he catalyzed movements.

Below are seven pivotal moments when Uche Okeke didn’t just make art - he made history.

1. Co-Founding the Zaria Art Society (1958)

While studying at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology in Zaria, Uche Okeke helped form the Zaria Art Society, alongside Bruce Onobrakpeya, Yusuf Grillo, and Demas Nwoko. This collective rejected colonial academic art training and instead championed a new, culturally grounded artistic identity.

It laid the foundation for postcolonial modernism in Nigeria and sparked a national artistic awakening.

2. Articulating the Philosophy of Natural Synthesis



Uche Okeke, Jumaa Figure, Sculpture, 1959, 12.8 x 9.3, Uche Okeke Legacy Collection

Okeke gave intellectual form to the Zaria group’s vision through his concept of Natural Synthesis — blending indigenous African visual traditions (like Uli and Igbo mythology) with Western techniques and materials.

“The future of Nigerian art lies in the intelligent synthesis of the old and the new.” – Uche Okeke

It became the foundational theory of modern Nigerian art, guiding artists across generations.

3. Reviving Uli as a Modern Artistic Language

In the early 1960s, Okeke began a deep engagement with Uli, the traditional Igbo body and wall art, typically practiced by women. He studied its abstract, calligraphic forms and transformed them into a contemporary visual language using pen and ink on paper.

Okeke restored cultural memory through modern art, influencing the Nsukka School aesthetic and decolonizing the visual field.

4. Founding the Asele Institute (1963)


Asele Institute Seal, Asele Institute Collection

Following Nigeria’s independence, Okeke returned to his hometown of Nimo and founded the Asele Institute — part museum, part archive, part cultural center. It became a sanctuary for modern Nigerian art, housing works, documentation, and fostering creative exchange.

Asele became a living archive of Nigeria’s postcolonial cultural movement and is still one of the most important repositories of Nigerian visual history.

5. Leading the Department of Fine Arts, UNN (1971)

After the Nigerian Civil War, Okeke joined the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and reinvigorated the Department of Fine Arts, mentoring artists like Obiora Udechukwu, Chike Aniakor, and later El Anatsui. He encouraged research into indigenous art forms and experimentation.

He cultivated the Nsukka School, one of the most influential movements in African contemporary art.

6. Writing Art in Development (1982)



Uche Okeke, Art in Development – A Nigerian Perspective, Published 1982, Republished 2019 by Iwalewa Books

Okeke’s writings, especially his manifesto Art in Development – A Nigerian Perspective, positioned art not as a luxury but as a critical tool for cultural and national development. He linked aesthetics to ethics, decolonization, and education.

He gave Nigerian artists a voice of cultural responsibility, bridging art, politics, and pedagogy.

7. Taking Nigerian Art to the World

Okeke exhibited widely, from Festac ’77 to Europe and the Americas, and his works were featured in major collections like the Iwalewa Haus, Smithsonian, and Centre for Black Culture & International Understanding.

He positioned Nigerian modern art within global modernism, showing that African art could be both local and avant-garde.

8. Legacy in Motion

Uche Okeke’s influence cannot be summarized in one style, school, or slogan. He was a theorist, cultural worker, educator, and archivist. Through Uli lines and bold philosophies, he reclaimed Nigerian art for Nigerians, while opening it to the world.

Whether you're a student, artist, or researcher, understanding Okeke is to understand the soul of Nigerian modernism.

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