Ndidi Dike
represents the very best and pride of the Nigerian female on the art scene and
indeed a gift of the beauty of Nigerian art to the world. She is a full-time
professional artist; she is multi-talented and easily identified as a sculptor,
mixed media specialist, a painter, art consultant, cultural activist, ceramist,
and textile designer. A 1984 graduate of the Fine and Applied
Art Department
of the University
of Nigeria, Nsukka, Ndidi
also has a diploma in Music Education. Her works, which are mostly sculptures
rendered in woodcarving, are usually characterised by a combination of
traditional Nigerian motifs and techniques, symbols and patterns to create
profound political and social commentaries.
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| Dike's Sculpture influenced by Uli design |
Right from her
training days Ndidi Dike has always been interested in exploring how different
media can be incorporated into a traditional painterly style, and this is what
has modelled her performance as a multi-talented artist working and expressing
herself in diverse media techniques. On the surface however, Ndidi Dike's works
draw a lot from the artistic styles of one of her mentors and lecturer at the
Nsukka art school - El Anatsui. Her works of sculpture bear those marks of
influence as she also employs the burning technique and the use of the chain
saw to produce her works. But over the years, in her creative adventures Ndidi
has carved a special niche for herself, establishing her mark as an authority
in her genre and style of art.
By: Morgan Nwanguma
