Hello everyone, It’s a brand new week and another opportunity to celebrate great Africans doing great things.

Who should be the Personality Of The Week? We’d bring details of the person background, inspirations, creative process, achievements and success secrets.

1. Demas Nwoko (born 1935) is a Nigerian artist, protean designer and architect. As an artist, he strives to incorporate modern techniques in architecture and stage design to enunciate the African subject matters in most of his works. In the 1960s, he was a member of the Mbari club of Ibadan, a committee of burgeoning Nigerian and foreign artists. He was also a lecturer at the University of Ibadan. In the 1970s, he was the publisher of the now defunct New Culture magazine. Nwoko, sees design as an ingenuous activity that carries with it a focus on social responsibility for positive influences in the environment and culture of the society.
2. Thuli Madonsela, a South African advocate and the nation’s Public Protector who helped draft the country’s constitution in 1994 and was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People this year; Madonsela was appointed Public Protector by President Jacob Zuma for a non-renewable seven-year term commencing 19 October 2009, with unanimous support from the multi-party National Assembly. At the announcement of her appointment, Zuma said Madonsela “will need to ensure that this office continues to be accessible to ordinary citizens and undertakes its work without fear or favour”. Madonsela likens her role as Public Protector to the Venda chief’s paternal aunt known as the makhadzi, a non-political figure who “gives the people a voice while giving the traditional leader a conscience”.
3. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, born 15 September 1977) is a Nigerian novelist, nonfiction writer and short story writer. She has been called “the most prominent” of a “procession of critically acclaimed young anglophone authors [that] is succeeding in attracting a new generation of readers to African literature”. The world-renowned Nigerian author who penned Half a Yellow Sun and is also known for her “We Should All Be Feminists” TED Talk.

Lake Kariba is Africa’s largest man made dam. It is 226km long and in some places up to 40 km wide. It provides electric power to both Zambia and Zimbabwe and supports a thriving commercial fishing industry. The sheer size of it will stun you into forgetting it is actually just a dam!  It covers an area of 5,580 square kilometers (2,150 sq mi) and its storage capacity is an immense 185 cubic kilometers. Before the lake was filled, the existing vegetation was burned, creating a thick layer of fertile soil on land that would become the lake bed. As a result, the ecology of Lake Kariba is vibrant.

Lake Kariba in Zambia is renowned for offering visitors a superb tiger fishing experience as the the lake boasts of a variety of fish species. Occasionally you may be treated to a veiw of a whole herd of elephants or a patrol of water birds on the shorelines of the Lake. As if that is not enough to interest anyone, here is a list of islands
on the lake with pampered accommodation:

•  Maaze Island
• Mashape Island
• Chete Island
•  Sekula
• Sampa Karuma
• Fothergill
• Spurwing
• Snake Island
• Antelope Island
•  Bed Island
• Chikanka

Sounds like paradise, doesn’t it? See pictures below

Andile Gumbi looks like magic in everything he wears! The south African movie star is popularly known as his bad boy, cassanova character Zweli Ntshangase from the TV soap Isibaya. Before that the actor, dancer and singer made his debut in The Lion King in 2004. His role as the adult Simba, the disillusioned, self-exiled prince who matures into the King of Pride Rock, in Disney’s long-running musical The Lion King won him the recognition and respect of colleagues and fans home and abroad. His Lion King journey has since taken him across the world from Sydney to Shanghai, and back to South Africa. Feed your eyes on pictures of this eye candy below.  He has been nominated Mzansi’s sexiest man two (years) in a row!

Gorgeous, yes or yes?

Nana by Tanzanian star, Diamond Platinumz features Nigerian music celebrity, Flavour, is a fun love song with a very catchy video filled with a lot of dancing. It’s a very danceable song as its beats is made to move people of all ages and sizes and I’m pretty sure it achieves just that.

About Diamond Platinumz and Flavour:

Born 2nd October, 1989,Diamond Platnumz a.k.a Diamond, real name Nasibu Abdul Jumma, is a Tanzanian Bongo Flava artiste and dancer. Diamond has been recognised at Channel O and the Prestigious Hiphop Awards and has also toured Europe, Asia and America. Diamond is considered influential among his fans especially Maria J, and is said to be the most loved and decorated Tanzanian artist at the moment.

Born 23 November, 1983, better known by his stage name Flavour, is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and performer. He began his musical career as a drummer for a local church in his hometown in Enugu state. Flavour is popularly known across Africa and the world for his hit song “Nwa Baby (Ashawo Remix)”. He is currently signed to 2nite Entertainment.

Listen to song below:

Bob Dennis Ahiagble and Jimmy Amegayieare young master weavers whose works have been exhibited both in Ghana and in Europe. As children in a family of weavers they learned the traditions and techniques of Ewe kente weaving under the guide and supervision of their father, Gilbert Bobbo Ahiagble.

Bob and Jimmy have set up a weaving organization called ATMEK (Authentic Traditional and Modern Ewe Kente). Atmek kente production started as a hobby in Accra in 2001 with two workers but presently, we have a work force of 21 workers all trained by Atmek with an artistic bent to create unique patterns for Ewe kente. It is the objective of Atmek to raise the standard of weaving locally, to help the under-privileged in society to gain employment and to widen the scope of weaving by using recycled materials.

Bob has traveled many times to Denmark and Sweden where he held workshops at the Danish National Museum and the Nyvang Meseum. Jimmy has also been an ambassador for Ghanaian arts abroad, traveling to Canada where he lectured and demonstrated in Montreal and Toronto.

In 2003, Bob was recognized by UNESCO as one of the best young weavers in the research process, listing kente as an intangible heritage.

In order to promote and keep the weaving industry alive, Bob has written a book titled “The pride of Ewe kente”, which tells the history of Ewe kente.

In 2010, Bob and Jimmy opened a weaving Academy with the goal of offering a quiet, welcoming learning environment for an international community of learners that fosters community living, encouraging skills development and creativity. All are welcome to share in the light of this vision.

Title: THE CRAZY MAID (Full Story)

Starring: Korto Davis, Kofi Adjorlolo, Jeffery Nortey, Little Daisy Amankwa, Chi Chi Neblett

Synopsis:

A loony maid puts up with being mistreated by her employer until she finds love in the most precarious situation.

Review:

Everyone thought Juliana (Korto Davis) was crazy and stupid. She worked as a maid but constantly annoyed the family that employed her. She was rude to their guests, barged into bedrooms, and behaved quite strangely. In turn, her boss (Kofi Adjorlolo), along with his daughter, were often verbally abusive to her.

Behind closed doors, Juliana had an unhealthy obsession with Nollywood actress, Mercy Johnson. It became evident that she wasn’t so dumb when her boss propositioned her following an illicit dream. Although he woke up mortified he still attempted to make the dream a reality. Juliana rejected his advances and insisted that he marry her before she ever took such a step.

Her boss thought she would be easy and his feelings of rejection led to his attempt to frame her for stealing money that he planted in her bedroom. But she was a step ahead of him and threatened to tell his daughter about his sexual shenanigans if he pulled any more tricks.

The next thing we know, Juliana was mistaken for her boss’ daughter and kidnapped. There was no way her boss was going to pay the ransom for her return.

Let’s Talk. This is a comedy that was pretty funny. I initially thought it would be a flop but I was happily proved wrong.

Korto Davis who played the lead role wrote the screenplay. The writing was apt in that she created a role that showcased her acting and comic abilities.

The overall story wasn’t deep but that’s okay because comedies don’t necessarily require depth. There were some aspects of the story that were far-fetched but it was a character driven piece that had some hilarious, knee-slapping, moments.

As mentioned above, the Juliana character (Korto Davis) was a big fan of actress, Mercy Johnson. Korto reminded me of Mercy in that her look and comedic nature was similar to characters that Mercy has played in the past.

Performances? Korto Davis displayed two distinct characters in the story. She was the show but she also wrote decent roles for her co-stars, Kofi Adjorlolo and Little Daisy Amankwa.

As for technical issues, video and sound were adequate although some of the music choices were questionable.

The story concluded with a bit of unpredictability but I didn’t really care for the fairytale ending. Overall it was time well spent and it’s a high five to Ms. Korto Davis or should I say Ms. “Better Days Ahead.” (Those who have seen the movie will understand this reference. Tee-hee). RECOMMEND 

is a major city in Morocco, located on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, near the foot of the Atlas Mountains, just north of the point where the Sous River flows into the ocean, at a distance of some 508 km to the south of Casablanca, 173 km south of Essaouira and 235 km southwest of Marrakech. It is the capital of the Agadir-Ida Ou Tanane Prefecture and of the Souss-Massa economic region. A majority of its inhabitants speak Tashelhit, a Berber language, as their first language.

Agadir feels unlike anywhere else in Morocco. A busy port and beach resort sprawling beneath its kasbah, the city was completely rebuilt following a devastating earthquake in 1960. It is now the country’s premier destination for sun, sand, pubs and pizza. Laid out as a large grid of downtown streets, surrounded by spacious residential suburbs, Agadir’s concrete-covered inland quarters are ugly and sterile. However, the city hits its stride on the beachfront promenade, where Moroccan street life comes with a refreshing sense of space. Arching south of the shiny white marina, the sheltered sandy beach offers clean water and 300 sunny days a year.

Agadir caters mainly to package-tour holidaymakers, and will appeal less to independent travellers with an interest in Moroccan culture. Families will also enjoy relaxing on the beach and wandering around the handful of sights. If you do not have children in tow, however, we recommend heading elsewhere to make the most of a visit to Morocco.

The city spreads over a large area, both along the coast and inland from the huge swath of beach. From the northern end of the beach, near the marina and port, three parallel streets – 20 Août, nearest the ocean, Mohammed V and Hassan II – run through the main tourist area.

Soak up the sun on the well-maintained beaches of Agadir, southern Morocco’s most-visited city. Palm-lined boulevards and beachfront bars add a decidedly Western-resort feel, amplified by the large number of Europeans who flock here in the winter months. It’s all about laid-back relaxation in Agadir, so ride a camel, rent a beach buggy, check out the Suq al-Had market or take the 20-minute walk up to the ruins of the Agadir Kasbah for expansive city views if you’re taking a break from the beach.

Who is ready? Mente De Moda Granduer is here with a Christmas special. Mente De Moda is a market place where buyers and sellers meet. The Bang&Kosher Company responsible for bringing us this shopping experience, are promising us more in their December edition. Forget Black Friday, Lagosians hope you have saved up for this?

Like the November edition, there would be loads of fashion items for both men and women, mouth watering food, drinks and exciting performances.

What To Look Forward To:

• Gift items
• Footwear
• Menswear
• Ladies fashion tems
• Cosmetics
• Fragrances
• yummy treats

Also, there would be beautiful live poetry, music from DJ Skura and Aye of Village Sound System and exciting performances like fire breathing acts.

Venue: The MDM Grounds, No. 4 Wole Olateju Street, off Admiralty Road (beside Ice Cream Factory) Lekki Phase 1.

Date: Sunday 13th December 2015

Time: 12 NOON

The best news is, admission is FREE for everyone!

We don’t remember days, we remember moments – Cesare Pavese

Sweets may sour,

New will age;

Light, darkens

Just as your youth fade;

Beauty of course will follow

And our strength next;

Thrills will ebb

Hopes will seep

but,

Smile, because our memories will keep.

-Sisi

I was still shaking with panic and fear. I started sending her auto messages begging her to call back but she didn’t care to reply or call. I assumed she was close and I continued down the road..half-walking,half-running. I was hoping to meet her halfway and I did. She looked at me first like I’d gone mad and asked me what was wrong. I told her,I said ” there’s a snake in the house” like three times in my native tongue.

She looked at me,almost laughing and asked me again. I didn’t mind so I repeated myself,holding back the expletives on my tongue. Her first reaction was a long hissing sound. Then she laughed,shook her head,laughed some more and then asked if that was all. Infact,she said “is that all? Is that why you look like you were attacked by mad men?” I looked at her without understanding.

She moved me aside and continued walking towards the house. I stood rooted on the spot,looking at her receding back. Somewhere in my mind,I repeated to myself what I just told her. Then I asked myself if I said it wrongly. Or left out the word “snake”. I shook my head to clear the fog. And looked at her again. She was almost close to the house. Did she not hear me? “There is a snake in that house!” I screamed,running to catch up with her and maybe stop her from going in.

She looked at me like I was wearing a thong on my head and then screamed at me to stop screaming. If I didn’t know my own mother,I would have sworn she was drunk. Why else would you want to go into a house with a snake in it? I continued walking towards her and the house. She stood outside and beckoned me to come closer. Then she asked where my dad was. I told her. He was at a meeting. Not anywhere close to the house. Ok,she said. She passed her bag to me and started walking back the way she came.

“Where are u going this time!” I shouted. She laughed and told me to wait. She would be back soon,she said. She told me not to start running around like a mad woman before she comes back. I was to shocked to reply. I watched her go and stood there waiting till she came back with a host of men. Most of them were men working on building sites. And they came armed with bricklaying tools and gory stories of snakes and whatever.

After 20mins of loud noises and cursing.. They came out empty handed. I wasn’t surprised. The snake couldn’t have been sitting on the couch watching tv. Plus they’d made too much noise anyway. To make it worse,the empty barrels didn’t go away immediately. They stayed back sharing and trading snake jokes at my heart’s expense. I watched with slightly concealed irritation. Some of them even claimed the snake had gone and wasn’t in the house anymore.

I snorted at that. I wasn’t about to enter that house till someone comes out with a dead snake hanging on a pole. I waited patiently till they’d gone and continued waiting despite my mum’s teasing. I told her what I was waiting for and who I was waiting for. My father. My hero. He would know where to look. What to do. She laughed and called me silly names and assured me that the snake was gone. But it turned out that I was right and she was wrong.

My Poppa came. Like my knight in shining armor. He was initially irritated at finding me sitting outside with no shoes on and my skirt almost riding up to my waist..but he cooled down when he heard my story and immediately went to work. Ten minutes later,my knight came out with a snake,half-dead..hanging loosely on a cutlass with its head almost completely chopped off. He cut it into pieces and burned it up till I could breath normally again.

Who is my knight in shining biceps?

Nicholas Kowalski

Nicholas Nana Yaw Kowalski is a master artist who creates works that are dazzling, thought-provoking, whimiscal, dramatic, and fun. He works in a variety of media including oils, acrylics, watercolors, and mixed media collages.

Chit Chat

” As an artist, many times I create what I feel, think, and see in the world around me,” explains Nicholas , a native Ghanaian, both to Ghanaian and Polish heritage. “I have always had to explain my heritage, and how my last name came about. My great grand fathr an expatriate from Poland married my grandmother, a Ghanaian, while on assignment in Ghana. The rest, well, speaks for itself.”

Two Faces

Nicholas was born in Accra, Ghana and was educated at the University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana where  he graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drawing and Painting, and a Masters Degree in African  Art Studies. For these programs, he won the Mobil Awards for the Best Painting Student, Best Overall Student, and Best African Art Studies Student. He has been painting professionally since 1985.

As a versatile artist whose abstract works and textural paintings are unique, much of his work is contemporary, cultural, and expressive. Nicholas’ work has been seen and sold across Europe, Africa, Canada, and the United States. ” It is often times a window into my very soul.”

Faces of Hope

Nicholas’ profoud, and personal relationship with God and family is the key to why he has been successful doing what he loves. He owns and operates his own gallery in Accra, Ghana.

His most popular work, ‘Women’ is an extension of Nicholas Nana Yaw Kowalski’s personal attitude towards life. This oil painting is dazzling, dramatic, thought provoking and quirky. His works has always been woven around themes such as god and family. Perhaps he has a strong belief in the sanctity of the two parts of man’s life.

‘Women’ has influences of modernism with the soul of traditional African style of painting. The color palette and strokes depict an influence of traditional African painting style. However, the geometric designs and sharp contours symbolize a progressive thought process. Through the painting, the artist has reasoned out a view point where he feels that people can stay together yet have their distinct tastes/ likings, and lead a happy life. He believes there is absolutely no need to part away and live a ‘Nuclear Family’ life.

Women

Of late, he has created some of the most amazing pieces of work.

Silence Is a Steady Hand, Palm Flat

Alban Uzoma Nwapa (born 26 August 1957), known by his stage name Dr. Alban, is a Nigerian-born Swedish musician and producer with his own record label dr-records. His music can best be described as a Eurodance/hip-hop reggae with a dancehall style. He sold an estimated 16 million records worldwide and is most famous for his worldwide 1992 hit “It’s My Life” which was one of the songs from the album titled “One Love”.

Dr. Alban’s music was a great feature in my childhood and I absolutely loved his songs from ‘Hallelujah Day’ to ‘ One Love’ but my absolute favorite was ‘Carolina’.

I loved the video with all the random animals all over the video and the bouncy balls around the girls feet as she walked towards the venue (which she never eventually got tot, what was that about?)

Enjoy the video below:

Just because I loved ‘Hallelujah Day’ so much, I will also drop the video here, Enjoy.

Beware, my son, words,

That carry the loudness,

Of blind desire also carry,

The slime of illusion,

Dripping like pus from the slave’s battered back,

E.g. they speak of black power whose eyes,

Will not threaten the quick whitening of their own intent,

What days will you inherit?

What shadows inhabit your silences?

I have aspired to expression, all these years,

Elegant past the most eloquent word,

But here now, our tongue dries into maggots

As we continue our slimy, death and grin,

Except today it is fashionable to scream,

Of pride and beauty as though it were not known that,

‘Slaves and dead people have no beauty’,

Confusion,

In me and around me confusion,

This pain was not from the past,

This pain was not because we had failed,

To understand:

This land is mine,

Confusion and borrowed fears, it was.

We stood like shrubs,

Shriveled on this piece of earth,

The ground parched and cracked,

Through the cracks my cry:

And what shapes,

In assent and ascent,

Must people the eye of newborn,

Determined desire know,

No frightened tear ever rolls on

To the elegance of fire,

I have fallen with all the names I am,

But the newborn eye,

Old as childbirth,

Must touch the day that,

Speaking my language, will say,

Today we move, we move ?

Transform your old shoes in these simple steps. No tricks, no magic, no heavy equipment and in easy painless steps too. Everything you need is in the picture above.

The process:

• Cut your fabric into whatever shapes you want
• Slap on some glue
• Stick it to the shoe!
• Repeat till you cover all areas.

Voila! Here is what it should look like after.

Tutorial made by Curvy Geekery

Sindiso Khumalo is a South African textile designer living and working in Hackney, London. Central St Martins graduate, Khumalo, studied architecture at the University of Cape Town prior to moving to London, where she went onto study a Masters in Design for Textile Futures.

Sindiso Khumalo founded her eponymous label in 2012, with a  focus on creating modern sustainable textiles. With her complex graphic language she has developed a uniquely colourful visual voice, which draws upon her Zulu and Ndebele heritage. Sustainability, craft and empowerment lie at the heart of the label. She works very closely with a NGO’s in developing handmade textiles for her collections. At a various small workshops around South Africa, groups of women assemble to create handmade textiles for her womenswear collections.

In October 2015, she won the Womenswear Award for the Vogue Italia “Who’s On Next Dubai” competition. Fashion and empowerment is what Sindiso feels very passionate about. She has spoken on  sustainability in the fashion at the United Nations and is currently working closely with the International Trade Centre Ethical Fashion Initiative. She has showcased work at the Royal Festival Hall in London, The Smithsonian Museum of African Art in Washington and the Louisiana Museum in Denmark. Her work has been published in “Africa: Architecture, Culture and Identity”

Below are some pictures from her Autumn/Winter Collection

Also, some pictures from the Spring/Summer Collection:

If there is one creative mind, one artist, one photographer who is determined to show the beauty of his home country to the world, it is young enterprising Mutua Matheka from Nairobi, Kenya. Mutua’s mission is to inspire the change in viewpoint of the African people as a result of seeing amazing pictures of their continent as he strongly believes that Africa is a continent worth protecting and worth staying peaceful for.Mutua Matheka was born and bred in Machakos and refined by Nairobi. He started out drawing and sketching at 3 years old when his mother put crayons in his hands but since then his art has been modified and has progressed from drawing, illustration, graphic art, architectural visualization to his latest obsession, photography. A graduate in Architecture from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology (J.K.U.A.T), simulating as an interior designer with Image 360 designs and moonlighting as a photographer, he now fully applies his architectural scope to capture architecture, cityscapes & landscapes. He has also delved into wedding photography.Mutua aims to portray the potential beauty in the land of Kenya as he feels that if the people are fed with images of what could be, they would put in effort into bringing those images to life. He believes their continuous intake of the terrible slums and poor infrastructure in Kenya will never function in bringing the motivation for a better life that the people want rather it will serve to dampen their spirits into believing the worst of their country so he is all about the African dream and taking photos that defy the African narrative (poverty, disease, aid) by showing the beauty in the mundane. His work is inspired by beauty and nature and its colours. Most of his shots of Nairobi are panoramic, made to give the city a 200 angle view that he then uses Photoshop to complete. His work is also inspired by Jeremy Cowart, a Hollywood celebrity photographer and Trey Ratcliff, a fine art photographer who deals in landscape photography.Mutua Matheba won the pioneer BAKE AWARD for best Photography Blog in Kenya, was nominated for the International CSS DESIGN Award based in the United States, putting both Kenya and Africa on the Map in photography. His photos have been used by BBC MEDIA, CNN, Aljazeera, African Digital Art, NTV’s PM LIVE among others. He was approached in 2013 by the United Nations to work on a campaign titled ‘I’m a City Changer’ which is focused on portraying cities in Africa in good light.He owes his creativity to God and his mom for the 3yr old crayon awakening and is happily married to a beautiful woman who also doubles as his personal model. His long term plan is to ride all around rural Kenya teaching kids art and taking photographs to document and showcase my beautiful home, Kenya.You can connect to Mutua Matheka on 1) facebook.com/photographybymutuamatheka 2) Twitter: @truthslinger 3) Instagram: @truthslinger 4) email: info at mutuamatheka.co.ke 5) view my online Behance portfolio 6) See my 500px at 500px.com/mutuamatheka 7) check his work out at mutuamatheka.co.ke 8) also at mutuamatheka.wordpress.com 9) mutuamatheka.tumblr.com 10) for information about his prints or to buy any of my images, kindly email [sales at mutuamatheka.co.ke].

Pictures below:

Liya Kebede, Ethiopian fashion model, features in the winter escape issue of Porter magazine. She is photographed in black and white outfits from the likes of Azzedine Alaia, Tom Ford, Louis Vuitton and David Menkes, Liya on the Salt Flats in California.

Photographed by Chris Colls for Porter Winter 2015

Styled by George Cortina.

Hair by Ramsell Martinez.

Make-up by Frank B

Demas Nwoko (born 1935) is a Nigerian artist, protean designer and architect. As an artist, he strives to incorporate modern techniques in architecture and stage design to enunciate the African subject matters in most of his works. In the 1960s, he was a member of the Mbari club of Ibadan, a committee of burgeoning Nigerian and foreign artists. He was also a lecturer at the University of Ibadan. In the 1970s, he was the publisher of the now defunct New Culture magazine.

Nwoko, sees design as an ingenuous activity that carries with it a focus on social responsibility for positive influences in the environment and culture of the society.

Demas Nwoko began his career in the arts in 1957 by studying art at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology in Zaria. While there he created one of the cells of the Nigerian avant-garde – the Zaria Art Society – together with Uche Okeke and Bruce Onobrapkeya. After studying in Zaria, he went to Paris in 1961 then to Japan, to learn stage-design.

He not only continued painting but also contributed intensively to the stage, as reflected in his teaching activities. From 1963-78 he taught theatre arts at the University of Ibadan and in 1966 staged Amos Tutuola´s play “Palm Wine Drinkard” at the first Negro Arts Festival in Dakar. He was also a member of the Mbari artists´ and writers´ club in Ibadan and worked at the end of the 70s as the editor and co-publisher of the magazine New Culture: a Review of Contemporary African Arts.

In his work for the theatre, Nwoko was close to the Orisun movement, in referring to actual events and political blunders in a manner recalling European cabaret with its mixture of scenic presentation, songs and comic texts. The members of the Orisun movement understood drama as being “a process in which improvisation is essential”, as the Nigerian Nobel Prize Winner Wole Soynika wrote in his essay “From Ghetto to Garrison: a Chronic Case of Orisun”. Within the framework of his work in the Mbari/Orisun circle, Demas Nwoko also held workshops in painting and drawing, as Soyinka recalls.

Nwoko´s style of painting may be said to be lyrical and figurative. As in “The Adam and Eve Series” (1963-65), his compositions are often organised less in terms of space than in terms of symmetrical ornamentation. Sometimes the persons and accessories are simplified to the point of being emblems. Attention is meant to be drawn to the symbolically shown message, so it might be misleading to call his art, verging at times on abstraction, realistic.

The motifs which Nwoko chooses for his pictures are often taken from the Bible, and his commitment to the Christian religion is also shown by his architecture. In the course of his career he has designed several buildings, mostly for the catholic church, like one of his main works, the Dominican Abbey in Ibadan (1966-70). Here, too, he has been concerned to bring design up-to-date, trying on the one hand to show traditional roots and on the other hand a new identity. For this abbey and the church beside it, Nwoko used burnt tiles and a wedge-shaped almost expressionistic bell-tower rising to a point, and decked the whole with large-scale abstract mosaics in full colour. The result is an architectural masterpiece whose meaning and rank are much more than national.