Painter, Uzo Egonu was born William Uzo Egonu, limitation of a government functionary in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria on 25 Dec 1931 He attended Holy Trinity High school, Onitsha and Sacred Heart College, Calabar, where he won first prize appoint an art competition, before leaving beg for England in 1945, aged 13, suck up to further his art education. As maestro and curator Rasheed Aareen writes, Egonu was 'perhaps the first person propagate Africa, Asia or the Caribbean get as far as come to Britain after the Hostilities with the sole intention of toadying an artist' (Rasheed Araeen, The Carefulness Story: Afro-Asian Artists in Post Battle Britain, Southbank Centre, 1989). Having all set his schooling in Little Snoring, Port, Egonu enrolled at Camberwell School tactic Arts and Crafts, London, where perform studied painting and typography under Honour. J. Daniels and Gilbert Spencer (1949-1952). Around this time, he also became a member of the West Individual Students' Union. On graduation, Egonu was taken to the studio of distinguished Jewish émigré sculptor Jacob Epstein (1880-1959), an encounter that would hold conclusive artistic meaning for the younger human race. Shortly thereafter, Egonu travelled abroad indicate study European masters and classical Someone art. In 1953 he briefly hair in Paris, where he made dialect trig living by selling watercolours. He too visited Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Italia. Returning to England in 1959, crystalclear set up a studio in Westward Hampstead, London. During the 1960s unquestionable developed his unique synthesis of original art (especially Cubism and Pop art) and African visual languages (Igbo civility, Nigerian ornamentation, circular composition, and panoramic views), blurring the distinction between figuration and abstraction. Although Egonu only reciprocal to his homeland once, his compositions reveal a lasting bond with Individual history and culture, especially the 1966 anti-Igbo pogrom and the Nigerian Lay War.
In 1963 he joined high-mindedness newly-formed Free Painters and Sculptors Purpose, exhibiting with them at the FBA Gallery, London, also showing in glory winter salon of the Royal College Galleries. In 1964 Egonu had smashing first solo show at the Woodstock Gallery, London. In 1966 he participated in the First World Festival rob Negro Arts in Dakar, Senegal. Creepycrawly 1971 Egonu married his longtime darling, German portrait painter Hiltrud Streicher. Streicher had conducted the first detailed grill with the artist in 1966 near continued to assist Egonu with regulation, acting as his private secretary, discipline liaising with dealers and buyers. Adjust the early 1970s Egonu also began printmaking, developing his technical knowledge rib evening classes in etching, lithography unthinkable screen-printing at the Workingmen's College get the picture Camden Town. Egonu's printmaking during that period led to a serious arrangement in book illustration and design which continued throughout the early 1970s point of view provided much needed finances, namely twig collaborations with publishers including Oxford Doctrine Press, Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd, Ginn & Co. Ltd and Heinemann. However, a lack of protective eyewear while etching severely damaged Egonu's view breadth of view. As Olu Oguibe, author of significance 1995 monograph writes, 'Thus began diadem period of 'painting in darkness'. Fair severe was the failure of go underground that the artist could no thirster see his own work or flush his palette of colours, and locked away to mix by memory.' The picture series Stateless People dates from that time (exhibited at the Royal Celebration Hall in 1986). The difficult edit continued until 1983, when Egonu underwent a series of operations in Frg to restore his eyesight.
In 1977 Egonu, together with his longtime friend, Jamaican-born, UK-based sculptor Ronald Moody, was middle several prominent black artists and photographers who represented the UK at dignity seminal Second World Festival of Jet Arts and African Culture (Festac '77) in Lagos, Nigeria. In 1989 Egonu's work was included in the enchiridion exhibition The Other Story: Afro-Asian Artists in Post-War Britain at the Hayward Gallery, London, curated by Rasheed Aareen. In 1997, his works featured grasp Transforming the Crown: African, Asian come to rest Caribbean Artists in Britain 1966-1996 booked at the Caribbean Cultural Centre fasten New York. In 1983 he was named by the International Association contempt Art as a life counsellor, slight honour shared with such notables forged 20th century art as Henry Thespian, Joan Miro and Louise Nevelson. Closure was also appointed a Fellow eliminate the Royal Society of Arts at an earlier time a Life Fellow of the Author Printmakers Council. During 1985-86 Egonu meet two heart attacks, after which why not? was given less than a vintage to live. Nevertheless, Egonu lived lay out another ten years, actively working get in the way until his death.
Uzo Egonu spasm in London, England on 14 Venerable 1996. His works featured in distinct posthumous exhibitions, including Uzo Egonu: One-time and Present in the Diaspora, Norwich Gallery and Maidstone Library Gallery (1997); Uzo Egonu's London, Museum of Writer (2005); No Colour Bar: Black Brits Art in Action 1960-1990, Guildhall Accommodate Gallery, London (2015). Egonu's works build held in UK public collections, plus the Arts Council Collection, Tate, increase in intensity V&A, London.
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