Newly Found Works Highlight Artist That Bridged Nigeria And Britain

Since his death 30 years ago, the Nigerian painter and sculptor Ben Enwonwu has been widely hailed as Africas greatest artist.

Enwonwus paintings and sculptures are displayed in galleries and public venues around the world, but two of his artworks were recently discovered in the UK, hiding in plain sight one had even been used as a doorstop and this has shone a spotlight onto Enwonwus life and work once more.

When a guest brought an unknown item to be appraised on the BBC TV series Antiques Roadshow, little did he know that it was a rare Ben Enwonwu sculpture. He had bought it several years earlier at a car boot sale for 50 60: its value today is estimated to up to 15,000.

The base of the stone sculpture features a plaque reading Ben EnwonwuIgbo Sculpture with the signature of Zwemmer Gallery, a former art gallery in London. It was the presence of the signature that convinced the experts of the sculptures authenticity, and it is estimated to date from the 1970s, when Enwonwu was at the height of his fame.

Only several days earlier, a previously-unknown Enwonwu watercolour poster from 1942 was discovered in the UKs National Archives. Yams depicts the transportation of yams along a river, and was commissioned by the UKs Ministry of Information during the Second World War as part of its efforts to increase food production and encourage self-sufficiency in West Africa.