Sunday Jack Akpan

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Sunday Jack Akpan
AfrikahausFreibergSkulpturenAkpan.jpg
Afrikahaus concrete sculptures 1986
Born (1940-08-01) 1 August 1940 (age 85)
Ibesikpo
CitizenshipNigeria
OccupationsPainter, Sculptor

Sunday Jack Akpan (born in Nigeria on 1 August 1940) is a Nigerian sculptor who has been described as "the contemporary African equivalent of the medieval artisan". [1] He is noted for his work in cement, in which he crafts traditional-style statues of tribal leaders and other figures, mainly as grave art, which he then paints. He has also created other types of commercial art, including religious figures and business signage. [2] His work has been shown at the Venice Biennale and at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, among other venues. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Akpan was born in Ikot Ide Etuk Udo, in the district of Ibesikpo, Nigeria on 1 August 1940. The level of success in Akpan's education is currently unknown. [3] Sunday Jack Akpan was taught layering brick, by Mr. Albert Edet Essien. This experience helped guide him to progress in his cement skills in sculpting his naturalistic large-scale figures.

Career

Akpan is a post-war contemporary artist who has concentrated on sculpture, [4] using cement to create traditional figures and grave artworks. Most of his figures are of African tribal leaders and are large-scale sculptures, and reflect his interest in the history of African culture. [5] Akpan is ranked in the top 100,000 artists globally, but his best rank and time in his career was in 2001. [6] His work has mainly featured in group exhibitions alongside works by artists including Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, Chéri Samba, and Bodys Isek Kingelez. [6]

His first official exhibition was in 1989 in Paris at “Magiciens De La Terre" at Centre Pompidou in Paris. [6] [7] In 2001, his work featured at "La Biennale di Venezia" in Venice, Italy. [6] [5]

Akpan's work was included in "Africa Remix", an exhibition which toured various locations including the Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf (2004), Hayward Gallery in London (2005), Centre Pompidou in Paris (2005), Moderna Museet in Sweden (2006), the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo (2006) and Johannesburg Art Gallery (2007). [8]

In 2023, Akpan's work was included in an exhibition "Incarnations, le corps dans la collection" (The Body in the Collection) at the Musée d'Art Contemporain in Lyon, France. [6] [9]

Some of his work is in the collection of the Horniman Museum in London. [2]

Artworks

Public art

African Family (1986) - A sculpture in painted cement in Freiberg am Neckar, Germany. [10]

No Title (1994) - a sculpture in painted cement of powerful and elegantly dressed African men facing forward, but also appearing to be seeking attention from passers-by. This artwork is in front of offices in Akebonocho, Tachikawa-shi, Japan. [11]

Other artworks

Publications

References

  1. 1 2 Sunday Jack Akpan: Contemporanea arti E culture – Milan – sculpture exhibition – Brief Article | ArtForum | Find Articles at BNET
  2. 1 2 "Cement Sculpture in Nigeria and its Antecedents". rawvision.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  3. ↑ Peters, Edem (20 November 2018). "Experience". The Asian Conference on Cultural Studies 2019: Official Conference Proceedings. ISSN   2187-4751.
  4. ↑ "Sunday Jack Akpan".
  5. 1 2 3 Meneguzzo, Marco (January 2002). "Sunday Jack Akpan". ArtForum. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Sunday Jack Akpan - ranking". Artfacts. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  7. ↑ "Magiciens de la Terre". Contemporary&. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  8. ↑ "Africa Remix. Information and Photo Tour by Universes in Universe". universes-in-universe.de. Retrieved 2025-11-30.
  9. ↑ "Incarnations" (PDF). MACLyon. 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  10. ↑ "Sunday Jack Akpan - African Family". Art@Site. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  11. ↑ "Sunday Jack Akpan - No Title". Art@site. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
  12. 1 2 3 "Bust of a Nigerian Chief". Galerie Peter Herrman. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  13. ↑ "Zementskulpturen aus Nigeria : Sunday Jack Akpan, Aniedi Okon Akpan".
  14. ↑ Arts 1986, Calais Musee des Beaux (1985). Sculptures en ciment du Nigeria de S.J. Akpan et A.O. Akpan: Exposition au Musee des Beaux Arts de Calais du 4 Janvier au 2 Mars 1986 (in French). Association Francaise d'action Artistique.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)


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