Ovia Idah | |
---|---|
Born | 1903 |
Died | 1968 Nigeria |
Other names | Ovidah Ida, Igbolovia Ida |
Occupation(s) | Sculptor, painter, carpenter, designer, educator |
Movement | Modernism [1] |
Chief Ovia Idah (1903–1968) was a Nigerian sculptor, painter, carpenter, designer, and educator. [2] [3] [1] He worked in many mediums including in ebony wood, ivory, plastic, as well as terracotta and cement. [4] Idah's was active in Lagos in Lagos State, and Benin City in Edo State, [5] but showed his work internationally. He is also known by the names Igbolovia Ida and Ovidah Ida. [2]
He was raised in a royal palace as a court official (or omada) from age 7 until age 15, where he learned carving skills [6] serving as a page under Oba Eweka II of Benin.
Idah was employment as a carpenter with the Public Works Department in Lagos from 1923 until 1947. [4] He also taught at King's College in Lagos. [4] [7] Oba Akenzua II persuaded Idah to led the Benin Carvers Cooperative in Benin City in 1947. [4]
Idah's sculptures broke from local carving traditions and had their own unique style. [8] He was included as part of the book, "New Currents, Ancient Rivers: Contemporary African Artists in a Generation of Change" ( Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992), one of the largest surveys of contemporary African art at the time. [9] [1]
Ovia Idah | |
---|---|
Born | 1903 |
Died | 1968 Nigeria |
Other names | Ovidah Ida, Igbolovia Ida |
Occupation(s) | Sculptor, painter, carpenter, designer, educator |
Movement | Modernism [1] |
Chief Ovia Idah (1903–1968) was a Nigerian sculptor, painter, carpenter, designer, and educator. [2] [3] [1] He worked in many mediums including in ebony wood, ivory, plastic, as well as terracotta and cement. [4] Idah's was active in Lagos in Lagos State, and Benin City in Edo State, [5] but showed his work internationally. He is also known by the names Igbolovia Ida and Ovidah Ida. [2]
He was raised in a royal palace as a court official (or omada) from age 7 until age 15, where he learned carving skills [6] serving as a page under Oba Eweka II of Benin.
Idah was employment as a carpenter with the Public Works Department in Lagos from 1923 until 1947. [4] He also taught at King's College in Lagos. [4] [7] Oba Akenzua II persuaded Idah to led the Benin Carvers Cooperative in Benin City in 1947. [4]
Idah's sculptures broke from local carving traditions and had their own unique style. [8] He was included as part of the book, "New Currents, Ancient Rivers: Contemporary African Artists in a Generation of Change" ( Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992), one of the largest surveys of contemporary African art at the time. [9] [1]