VICTOR EHIKHAMENOR TAKES ON DAMIEN HIRST IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

Victor Ehikhamenor is in the New York Times, talking about the gaps in global knowledge of African Art History and how they play into Damien Hirst’s current Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable exhibition at Palazzo Grassi in Venice. Ehikhamenor’s work in the Nigerian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, titled ‘A Biography of the Forgotten’ deals with themes of memory, history and erasure.

Pictured left is the iconic 14^th century sculpture known as ‘Bronze Head from Ife’. This artwork fits into just one of the many independent traditions of extremely sophisticated lost-wax copper alloy casting in areas which are now part of modern-day Nigeria. Some of these traditions date as far back as the 9^th century, long before Europeans first arrived in West Africa in the late 15^th century.

Much art historical knowledge about this period in West African history was de-emphasised or minimised by European historians. This is because to acknowledge how technologically and aesthetically advanced pre-colonial societies were, would be to undermine the justification for colonising these places and imposing supposedly ‘more advanced’ European traditions on them.

One of the most distinctive features of early Ife sculpture in particular, whether bronze, terracotta or stone, is a highly refined naturalistic style of portraiture with the use of fine detailing.