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Onobrakpeya...
Q. How did you come to
attain the stature which you
now command as an artist?
A. Like most other artists,
I went through a long period
of training in order to develop
the technical capabilities
which my ideas require. It
was a Dutch professor, Ru
Van Russen, an instructor at
Tilburg University that
prompted me to turn away
increasingly from oil,
drawing and silkscreening, to
Printmaking.
Q. What kind of satisfac
tion do you get when an
aduience loves your works?
A, I get a feeling of ac
complishment from seeing
art-lovers respond, to my
works. The joy and happiness
is not only in me, but it is
passed over to the art lover.
This is the greatest Joy.
Q. How do you feel about
Black American artists?
A. I like Black American
art, particularly Jacob
Lawrence. They, like African
artists, try to use art to ex
press their identity and inner
feelings.
Q. Honestly, how do
Africans feel about Black
Americans? Would Black
Americans be welcome in
Nigeria?
A. Certainly, Black
Americans would be treated
as brothers at home.
However, because of your
long, separation from Africa
Master of
Printmaking
By MAYO CALDWELL
It has been written that art
is not concerned with great
artists, but with genius or
prodigious skills and is
fundamentally the outward
form on an inward reach.
To participate in the search
as a commercial artist, in
structor or student is to be an
artist.
On the Elizabeth City State
University campus, the art
colony is to be found in
Johnson Hall. Each of these
artists has a very personal
and singular goal. One of
them, Bruce Onobrakpeya’s
symbolizes the creative
genius that abounds in Africa.
Onobrakpeya’s artistic
works in Printmaking (the
original prints from a master
plate) has won international
praise.
Born in 1932 into an Urobo
family in Agbarha-Otor, a
town in what is now Nigeria’s
Bendel State, straddles the
delta of the Niger.
Once Onobrakpeya had
completed his secondary
schooling, he took up teaching
in Benin City.
Upon decking to further his
studies in art, Jie travelled
north in 1957 to Zaria, the site
of the Nigerian College of
Technology. The institution
has been renamed Ahmadu
Bello University.
Onobrakpeya’s prints and
painting grace many
collections, including those of
the Queen of England and the
Duke of Edinburgh.
Other major purchases
have been made by such
groups as the Nigerian
Federal Society of Arts and
Humanities, the National
Theatre (Lagos) and the
Vatican Museum. He is
currently lecturing at ECSU
as a FullBright-Hayes ex
change scholar.
Dressed in a green leisure
suit that complimented his
smooth black skin, he leaned
back in his chair searching
for the right commingling of
words.
Then, in his carefully
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tions from everyone to help make this a
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I. >
. 1.:
thought-out teacher’s oratory
style marked .by staccato
rhythms and syncopated long
and short phrases, Onobrak
peya said, “Printmaking is
my most passionate en
deavor, which I will pursue
for the rest of my life.”
When queried about why he
chose printmaking instead of
and your long association
with Europeans, Black
Americans are usually
regarded by Africans as a
people who have a western
culture. The people here in
Elizabeth City have treated
me warmly-like a brother.
Q. How do you compare
Western art with African art?
A. The old African art-
bronze sculptures and all the
old art works, are different
from traditional Western art,
which was inspired by the
Greek classical art. Western
or European art aims
towards technical perfection.
Q. Some Europeans con
sider African art to be
primitive. How do you feel
about this belief ?
A. Because some of the
African art hasn’t reached
European technical per
fection, it is wrongly termed
primitive. African artists
were not aiming at geometric
perfection but at symbolism
and not just an anatomical
study of things.
Q. What is African art
doing to help international
understanding?
A. African art, music,
dance, plastic arts and
literature have in the past
played a leading role in
cementing family and tribal
ties. The Nigerian govern
ment in particular has used
this artistic form to draw the
different ethnic groups
\ •> M'
some other art form he
warmly replied, “I like
Printmaking because it is a
method which enables artists
to reach a great number of
people at the same time. You
can produce 12 original prints
from one masterplate,
thereby, enabling 11 extra art
lovers to have their own
orginal prints,” he said.
together during National Art
Festivals. Moreover, the
success of these festivals
encouraged the Nigerian
government to play host to
the second All-African and
World Black Festival,
otherwise called Festac “77”.
This festival brought many
artists from all over the world
together. Not only to en
tertain, but also to develop
understanding, love and
respect between all people.
Q. How does the *Art
Department at ECSU com
pare with other art depart
ments that you have worked
with?
A. Very favorably. Here,
we have very good and
dedicated instructors, who
also work together as a team.
As a result of this, the student
are creating very good art
works.
Q. Do you have any
message that would help the
young art students achieve
their “realistic” goals?
A. Study hard. Work hard.
Remember, a man becomes a.
doctor, or artist because this
is what he has been taught.
He desires it and works hard
everyday to become suc
cessful. As our future leaders,
you must develop discipline
which will encourage and
ensure our survival and
growth. Be a serious student
who is not only committed to
himself but to his people.
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