The Impact of Pan-Africanism and Nationalism on the Evolution of Modern Art in Nigeria

Abstract

The paper examines the political and philosophical ideologies of the Pan-Africanism and Nationalism movements and their impact on the 20^th century art of Africa with a particular reference to Nigeria. It opines that, while the foundation of modern arts in African could largely be attributed to Africans’ embrace of Western education and life style, the African and Black descents’ concept of Pan-Africanism and Nationalism (home and abroad) which fuelled the young African elites’ renewed appreciation of interest in African culture and quest for African identity, also stimulated and fed the pre/post independent visual arts. The paper argues that the African nationalists’ agitation for political freedom from colonial powers within the continent and that of Africans in Diaspora’s struggle for liberation in the West and Europe which provoked the political vibes of the 1950s and 60s was indeed instrumental to the radical invigoration of the evolving modern visual arts of the continent in general and that of Nigeria in particular.  It submits that the Pan-Africanism and Nationalism movements’ ideals actually midwife the ‘Zarianist’ revolution and the reinvention of the concept of synthesis as evident in the Zaria Society of Art’s natural synthesis theory as well as the post independent’s emergence of art movements and stylistic art schools.

Keywords: Africa, Nationalism, Modern Nigerian art, Pan-Africanism, Visual Arts