Ben Osawe (Nigerian, 1931-2007) Totem
Provenance : [Propriété non datée]
- Osawe was born into a family of respected sculptors and craftsmen
- He learned his trade from his father, who was court artist for the king of Benin, Oba Eweka II
- Osawe moved to London to study at the School of Graphic Art (1956-59) and the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts (1960-65)
- In 1965, he was selected to represent Nigeria at the Commonwealth Festival in Glasgow
- He returned to Nigeria in 1966 before moving to Benin City in 1979, where he continued to sculpt until his death in 2007
- Over the course of his career, Osawe showed himself to be a master of many media including cement, clay and metal
- However, it was with wood that he felt most at home
Exhibited :
Literature :
Notes :
Condition_report : Generally in very good condition. There are no visible breaks or repairs. There are a handful of old marks and scratches, which is consistent with a wooden sculpture of this date. There is a vertical crack running along the lower curve of the sculpture's reverse - this is a natural fissure in the wood rather than a break. There is another crack to the wooden base running from the 'A' of 'OSAWE' to the centre of the base. Again this is a natural fissure in the wood.
