Oliver Enwonwu: Panel Talk

1 June 2024

A well-attended panel discussion took place at Oliver Enwonwu's exhibition, "A Continued Legacy" at Mall Galleries, SW1.

Our panellists focus on the themes of the indigenous female form, strength and resilience and how Oliver’s work collaborated with the art of his father, Ben Enwonwu.

Together with Nike Awoyinka and Anna Marie Benedict, we discovered how both Enwonwu's work honours these aspects, reflecting the enduring primordial feminine power, and the close correlation with African fashion the work had.

Ben Enwonwu’s notable works include three portraits of Adetutu "Tutu" Ademiluyi, a young Yoruba princess, created during national reconciliation after the Nigerian/Biafran conflict.

Enwonwu, an Igbo artist, sought to bridge cultural divides by painting Yoruba subjects, and his Tutu portraits became iconic. His son, Oliver Enwonwu, continues this tradition by painting Adetutu’s niece, Olori (Queen) Ronke Ademiluyi Ogunwusi, who is the founder of Africa Fashion Week London and Nigeria and the Adire Oodua Textile Hub.

The original Tutu paintings, celebrated for their enigmatic quality and significance in Nigerian art, captured Adetutu’s regal beauty and contributed to Enwonwu’s artistic legacy. The principal 1973 Tutu portrait's whereabouts remain unknown, adding to its mystique.