Odinigwe Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu MBE, better known as Ben Enwonwu, worked in the 1950s. He was a Nigerian and Igbo painter and sculptor. Without a doubt the most influential African artist of the 20th century.
I will not accept a subordinate position in the art world. My art was not called African because I expressed my reality wrongly and rightly.
I have constantly fought against this kind of philosophy because it is wrong. European artists such as Picasso, Braque and Vlaminck were influenced by African art. Everyone sees it and is not against it. But when they see African artists influenced by their European training and technique, they expect the African to stick to his traditional forms even if he tends to copy them.
I don’t copy traditional art. I like what I see in the work of people like Giacometti, but I don’t copy them. You know, I met Giacometti personally in England. I knew he was inspired by African sculptures, but Giacometti wouldn’t have influenced me because he was influenced by my ancestors.
– Ben Enwonwu
