Uche Okeke, the Educator Rethinking the Art Curriculum in Nigeria
Published 11 September 2025 in The Work
Uche Okeke Legacy Editorial
When people talk about Uche Okeke, they often mention his elegant ink drawings or his revival of Uli, the traditional Igbo art form. But one of his most powerful contributions happened in the classroom. As a teacher, reformer, and founder of cultural institutions, Okeke changed how art was taught in Nigeria. He helped students not just learn to make art but rather to understand who they are as artists in a changing society.
Uli designs drawn by women from the Awka District (Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford; photo- Ụkpụrụ̄)
From Zaria to Nsukka: Building a New Way of Teaching
Uche Okeke first began developing his ideas about art education while studying at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology in Zaria (NCAST). In 1958, he helped start the Zaria Art Society, along with artists like Demas Nwoko, Yusuf Grillo, Bruce Onobrakpeya, and others. Together, they came up with the idea of “Natural Synthesis”. A way to mix Western art training with African culture and traditions.
This idea came from a desire to challenge the colonial art education system, which focused mostly on European styles. After he completed his studies, Okeke carried this philosophy with him. In 1971, when he became the Head of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, he was finally in a position to make real change. He redesigned the entire art curriculum to reflect African history, culture, and creative traditions.
Changing What Art Students Learn
Before Okeke’s reforms, Nigerian art students were mostly taught European techniques and art history. Traditional African art was seen as something of the past, or just "craft." Okeke disagreed. He believed that Nigerian artists needed to study their own culture to make art that truly spoke to their reality.
Artist Unknown (possibly an edition of ‘Eyes of Mmuo’ by Kaego ‘Ego’ Uche-Okeke), Untitled, Linoprint, 15 x 20.5 inches, Asele Collection
At Nsukka, he introduced courses that focused on Uli, a traditional Igbo art practiced by women, and on other local systems of writing and symbols, such as Nsibidi. To Okeke these were more than just decorations, he taught that they were visual languages, full of meaning and creativity. He once wrote, “My drawing is not drawing for drawing’s sake. It is a search for knowledge”.
He didn’t stop at Nsukka. In 1973, Okeke helped shape the art program at the Institute of Management and Technology in Enugu, and he also revised the WAEC (West African Examinations Council) art syllabus, which affected students across West Africa. He even developed a postgraduate art program at UNN.
Uchefuna Christopher Okeke, F.W.L.A, DDG, M.F.R
Who was Uche Okeke, and Why is he Important Today?
Guiding the Next Generation
One of the best ways to understand Okeke’s impact as a teacher is to look at the artists he taught. The Nsukka School, as it later became known, included some of Nigeria’s most important artists - like Obiora Udechukwu, Chike Aniakor, and El Anatsui.
Each of them developed a unique style, but all were influenced by Okeke’s belief in drawing from African traditions. He encouraged students to respect their heritage, while also thinking in new ways. His classroom became a place where tradition met experimentation, and where artists could explore their own cultural identity.
Asele Institute: Teaching Beyond the University
Long before his time at Nsukka, Okeke had already begun creating space for education and research. In 1958, he founded the Asele Institute in his hometown of Nimo. It was one of Nigeria’s first privately run centers for the arts serving as part gallery, part archive, part learning center.
Today, the Uche Okeke Legacy Foundation and Uche Okeke Legacy Limited continue to preserve and promote his work. The Asele Institute remains active, hosting exhibitions, research programs, and creative workshops. Meanwhile, the podcast Coffee & Uche Okeke invites new generations to learn from his writings, interviews, and teaching philosophy.
Key Takeaways with Richard Kilpert
Teaching as Cultural Work
For Uche Okeke, teaching wasn’t just about passing on skills, it was about preserving culture and inspiring pride. He believed the artist had a responsibility to tell the truth about their community and history. His curriculum gave African traditions the respect they deserved and showed students that they didn’t need to copy Europe to be modern or creative.
Uche Okeke, Isi Nwoji, 1972, woodcut, 19.7 x 20.1, Uche Okeke Legacy
This approach remains important today. Many African universities and art schools are still working to decolonize their teaching. Okeke’s model provides a clear example of how to do that: by putting African ideas, symbols, and worldviews at the center of learning.
His Line Continues
In Uche Okeke’s drawings, you often see flowing lines borrowed from Uli, moving across the page with a sense of rhythm and meaning. In many ways, these lines represent his work as an educator. They connect the past to the present, tradition to innovation, and one generation of artists to the next.
Uche Okeke didn’t just teach art. He taught artists to see themselves. And that may be his most powerful legacy of all.
